In Business as Usual, Paul Mattick explains the global economic downturn in relation to the development of the world economy since the Second World War, and more fundamentally, as an example of the cycle of crisis and recovery that has characterised capitalism since the early nineteenth century. Todays recession, he explains, is the result not of a one-off financial event, but is a manifestation of fundamental, long-term processes within the world economy. Mattick places the downturn within the context of business cycles, which are unavoidable in a freemarket. The book is ideal for anyone who wants to gain a succinct and jargon-free understanding of current economic events in terms of recent history, and, just as importantly, the overall dynamics of the capitalist system itself.