Includes bibliographical references (p. 342-357) and index.

Part I: The benefits of free financial markets -- Does finance benefit only the rich? -- Shylock transformed -- The financial revolution and individual economic freedom -- The dark side of finance -- The bottom line on financial development -- Part II: When do financial markets emerge? -- The taming of the government -- The impediments to financial development -- When does finance develop? -- Part III: The great reversal -- The great reversal between wars -- Why was the market suppressed? -- The decline and fall of relationship capitalism -- Part IV: How can markets be made more viable politically -- The challenges ahead -- Saving capitalism from the capitalists.

In the wake of recent business scandals, financial markets are often thought of as parasitic institutions that feed off the blood, sweat, and tears of human endeavor. This guide shows that such markets in fact supply the fuel of a vital economy.