Abstract

Over the past decade, the "German Model" of industrial organization has been the subject of vigorous debate among social scientists and historians, especially in comparison to the American one. Is a "Rhenish capitalism" still viable at the beginning of the 21st century and does it offer a road to the New Economy different from the one, in which the standards are set by the U.S.? The author, one of Germany's leading economic historians, analyzes the special features of the German path to the New Economy as it faces the American challenge. He paints a fascinating picture of Germany Inc. and looks at the durability of some of its structures and the mentalities that undergird it. He sees a "culture clash" and argues against an underestimation of the dynamics of the German industrial system. A provocative book for all interested in comparative economics and those who have been inclined to dismiss the German Model as outmoded and weak.

Werner Abelshauser taught European History at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy. He now holds the Chair in Economic History at the Faculty of History and Philosophy at the University of Bielefeld and is one of the directors of the Bielefeld Institute for Global Society Studies. His publications include books and articles on the history of European integration, economic history, and business history.

“This book is to be welcomed primarily because it provides an opportunity for nonspecialists to familiarize themselves with Abelshauser's important ideas. It can also arouse serious discussion about an economic historian's attempt to use history to inform a present debate readers should find encouragement in this book to explore Abelshauser's other great scholarship in detail.” • Journal of Interdisciplinary History

“… a provocative, historically grounded contribution to the globalization debate. And this is what makes the book attractive: no doubt it is stimulating, even one does not concur with the author in all his conclusions.” • Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte