Jonathan Levy provides a sweeping narrative of American economic history, organizing four centuries of capitalism into four distinct ages: Commerce, Capital, Control, and Chaos. Each era represents a different relationship between government, business, and society, shaped by the dominant form of capital and the prevailing ideology about its proper management. The Age of Commerce stretched from colonial settlement through the Civil War, dominated by land and enslaved people as capital. The Age of Capital followed, as industrial corporations and railroads transformed the economy. The Age of Control emerged from the crises of the Gilded Age and Great Depression, with government actively managing capitalism through regulation and social insurance. The Age of Chaos, beginning in the 1970s, saw the deliberate dismantling of controls and the rise of financial speculation. Levy, an economic historian, weaves together politics, policy, and the experiences of ordinary Americans into a narrative that makes abstract economic concepts concrete and consequential. He examines how each transition emerged from the failures and contradictions of the previous era, while acknowledging that the future remains unwritten. The 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath suggest the Age of Chaos may be ending, but what comes next depends on political choices yet to be made. The book provides essential context for understanding contemporary debates about inequality, regulation, and the proper role of government in the economy.