Imagine a world where businesses are owned and controlled, not by external investors whose only interest is maximum returns, but by the people who actively participate in them and create their value.

In People’s Capitalism, NYU professors Hans Taparia and Bruce Buchanan show a world in which everyday people — drivers, factory workers, healthcare providers, forklift operators, cattle ranchers, vegetable farmers, grocery shoppers, bank customers, social media users, communities, the homeless and even the natural environment — assume ownership and control of businesses that affect their lives.

In such a world, incomes rise, prices fall, health outcomes improve, and communities and the natural environment are treated with respect. In such a world, businesses create livelihoods with meaning, help to bring communities together, and offer participants freedom, agency, and dignity.