This book investigates the structural role of finance within contemporary capitalism and seeks to demystify its function as a potentially parasitic force rather than a productive one. The authors, Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos, John Milios, and Spyros Lapatsioras, utilize a Marxian theoretical framework to analyze the evolution of financial systems, the nature of fictitious capital, and the mechanisms of power inherent in modern financialization. By revisiting classical economic traditions and applying them to current crises, the text challenges mainstream assumptions regarding the stability and necessity of contemporary financial markets.

Experts recognize this work as a rigorous contribution to heterodox economic theory, particularly for its application of Ricardian Marxism to modern financial structures. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of political economy to fully grasp the authors' arguments.