Monopolies, Oligopolies, Market Concentration and Antitrust

Power corrupts and corporate power is no exception: its effects are bad for consumers, bad for workers and bad for the economy. Here, Belgian American economist Jan Loeys recommends books that look at the economic and political implications of 'market concentration,' and explains why we don't need governments that are pro-business but ones that are pro-market.

Across sectors and around the world fewer and fewer companies dominate the economy, with negative consequences for consumers, workers and the economy as a whole. Here, Oxford economist Howard Smith introduces books on 'antitrust,' a key policy tool for ensuring that markets are actually functioning properly in market economies.

Despite the large number of brands, most Americans buy their beer from just two companies. Consumer choice in the new digital economy is hardly better. Economist Jason Furman, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Barack Obama and now a professor at Harvard, recommends books to better understand market competition.

Modern market economies face a growing malaise, says activist and science fiction author Cory Doctorow: powerful actors creating 'chokepoints' between producers and consumers, causing untenable conditions for both. Here he picks out the best books he's reviewed over the last two years and explains why they're important.