This classic primer translates complex economic ideas into plain language about labor, power, and value, helping readers see how everyday work shapes the prices they pay.

Drawing from early 20th-century labor thought, the book explains that labor-power is a commodity workers sell to bosses, and that prices reflect the social labor required to produce goods and services. It uses clear examples to show how supply, demand, and profits affect wages, living costs, and the growth of industry. The edition you’re viewing distills these ideas into approachable lessons that shed light on how economies stay balanced—or swing out of balance.

Whether you’re new to economics or revisiting foundational ideas from a worker’s perspective, this edition offers a concrete framework for understanding production, value, and the dynamics between labor and capital.

How labor-power is defined as a commodity and why its value matters to wages.
Why prices can rise or fall and how that affects workers’ living standards.
Basic concepts of value, profit, and the role of monopoly in pricing.
Discussion prompts and questions to connect theory with real-world labor scenarios.

Ideal for readers curious about labor history, economics from a working-class viewpoint, or the roots of modern economic debates.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

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