This unique two-part discussion of foxglove--the herb from which digitalis is derived--features a facsimile of William Withering's classic "An Account of Foxglove and Some of its Medical Uses," complete with explanatory notes interpreting this eighteenth century text for the modern reader. The second part of the book, written by J.K. Aronson, co-author of the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Pharmacology, includes an introduction to the botany and pharmacology of foxgloves, their therapeutic uses before Withering, a short biography of Withering, an account of 18th century medical practices, and finally a review of the uses of digitalis in modern medicine.

Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital presents a novel interpretation of the good and bad times in the economy, taking a long-term perspective and linking technology and finance in an original and convincing way. Carlota Perez draws upon Schumpeter's theories of the clustering of innovations to explain why each technological revolution gives rise to a paradigm shift and a 'New Economy' and how these 'opportunity explosions', focused on specific industries, also lead to the recurrence of financial bubbles and crises. These findings are illustrated with examples from the past two centuries: the industrial revolution, the age of steam and railways, the age of steel and electricity, the emergence of mass production and automobiles, and the current information revolution/knowledge society. By analyzing the changing relationship between finance capital and production capital during the emergence, diffusion and assimilation of new technologies throughout the global economic system, this seminal book sheds new light on some of the most pressing economic problems of today. A bold interpretation of how the changing relationship between technological advances and financial capital shapes the patterns of economic cycles, this path-breaking book will provide essential insights for business leaders, policymakers, academics and others concerned with managing change in the world economy.