The global economic crisis & recession that began in 2008 had at least one unexpected outcome a surge in sales of Karl Marx's Capital Although mainstream economists & commentators once dismissed Marx's work as outmoded & flawed some are begrudgingly acknowledging an analysis that sees capitalism as inherently unstable & of course there are those like Michael Heinrich who have seen the value of Marx all along & are in a unique position to explain the intricacies of Marx's thought Heinrich's modern interpretation of Capital is now available to English-speaking readers for the first time It has gone through nine editions in Germany is the standard work for Marxist study groups & is used widely in German universities The author systematically covers all three volumes of Capital & explains all the basic aspects of Marx's critique of capitalism in a way that is clear & concise He provides background information on the intellectual & political milieu in which Marx worked & looks at crucial issues beyond the scope of Capital such as class struggle the relationship between capital & the state accusations of historical determinism & Marx's understanding of communism Uniquely Heinrich emphasizes the monetary character of Marx's work in addition to the traditional emphasis on the labor theory of value this highlighting the relevance of Capital to the age of financial explosions & implosions