The desire for economic prosperity is itself not culturally determined but almost universally shared

For capitalism flourishes best in a mobile and egalitarian society

As a piece of travel literature alone, 'The Ends of the Earth' succeeds in providing a tangible sense of the sweaty, smelly reality of many exotic points on the map, with glimpses of their cruelty but also, occasionally, of beauty and human kindness. As a piece of analysis, it is deeply thought-provoking.

Economic activity is carried out by individuals in organisations that require a high degree of social co-operation

It was the slave's continuing desire for recognition that was the motor which propelled history forward, not the idle complacency and unchanging self-identity of the master

In the future the optimal form of industrial organization will be neither small companies nor large ones but network structures that share the advantages of both.

The desire for economic prosperity is itself not culturally determined but almost universally shared