This work investigates the fundamental social and institutional structures that underpin the existence and operation of markets, money, and credit within capitalist economies. Costas Lapavitsas, a professor of economics, draws upon Marxian political economy and heterodox theory to challenge mainstream neoclassical assumptions. He argues that money and credit are not merely neutral tools for exchange but are deeply embedded in social relations and class dynamics. The text provides a rigorous framework for understanding how these financial mechanisms facilitate capital accumulation and systemic instability.

Experts in political economy identify this text as a significant contribution to the critique of financialization and modern monetary theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a solid foundation in economic theory to fully grasp the author's arguments.