There's really no escaping it: if you want to understand capitalism, you simply have to read Karl Marx's "Capital". But this is easier said than done. "Capital" is Marx's magnum opus - consisting of more than 2,000 pages, over three volumes. It is a masterpiece of analysis, of relentlessly methodical and logical reasoning. So is "Capital" only for the expert? No. "Capital" can be read - and understood - by beginners as well, provided they are guided into it. Which is exactly what this volume does. Seven leading Marxist scholars lay out the conceptual framework of "Capital" as well as investigate its various themes in essays written specially for this Reader. Moreover, each of the authors has taken care to not limit him/herself to only preliminary explication of concepts, and has also gone into matters of advanced theory. The volume as a whole also has a broadly similar trajectory - the first couple of essays lay the foundation, the middle four essays graduate from basic concepts to theoretical discussion and debates, and the last essay does not go into basic concepts at all, but applies the method of "Capital" to theorise about contemporary capitalism. This introductory Reader, then, does two things: it equips new readers with the basic conceptual keys that could unlock the vast treasure trove of Marx's analysis and insights, as well as offering fresh insights into Marx's magnificent work to the initiated.

The demonetisation of November 2016 goes down in history as the day of an intensely debated economic policy intervention of the Indian state. With abolition of the legal tender status of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, about 86 per cent of the currency in circulation stood withdrawn from the economy. The purpose, according to the government, was to stamp out counterfeit currency, unearth black money, and usher in a less-cash economy. One of the most detailed analysis of demonetisation so far, the book takes on board a large gamut of issues into consideration taking into account data for a larger period of time i.e. till September 2017. The book reviews impact of the demonetisation policy intervention on different spheres of the economy and critically examines each of the major claims of put forth by the government vis-a-vis demonetisation. Through selections from the Economic and Political Weekly, it presents a journey through the Indian black money debate, placing the two demonetisations of 1978 and 2016 within the framework of black money and tax evasion in India over the last six decades