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REVIEWS
Reviewed by Nathan M. Moore:
"Andy Hines’ Imagining After Capitalism (2025) presents a bold, speculative intervention in contemporary critical thought, offering a framework to envision economic, social, and cultural structures beyond the entrenched capitalist paradigm. By engaging with utopian imaginaries and theoretical extrapolations, Hines attempts to chart a course toward alternative modes of existence where human flourishing is no longer subordinated to market imperatives.
...Imagining After Capitalism then presents a bold, provocative engagement with the necessity of envisioning alternative socio-economic structures in a world deeply entrenched in neoliberal ideology, a crossroads for classical liberalism. As an extension of utopian and speculative thought, Hines’ work resonates with contemporary debates on post-capitalist futures, where imagination is not simply an intellectual exercise but a political imperative to building New Worlds. His core argument—that we have been living in an Economy rather than a Society—captures the ideological shift that has undergirded late-stage capitalism’s reification of economic logic over collective well-being. This review situates Imagining After Capitalism into non-normative bounds as Hines suggests and into the broader intellectual traditions also transitioning to Cultural Studies.
Hines’ project ultimately follows in the tradition of utopian theorists, offering a clear rejection of the fatalism that often accompanies discussions of capitalism’s dominance. His work challenges us to rethink the frameworks of production, exchange, and labor, engaging with traditions that range from Marxist critiques of alienation to contemporary posthumanist interventions. However, a critical question emerges when examining Hines’ vision through the lens of classical liberalism: Can we construct an emancipatory economic future while still preserving the fundamental principles of individual liberty, voluntary exchange, and limited government?
... Imagining After Capitalism revitalizes the utopian impulse that is often dismissed within mainstream discourse by foregrounding imagination as a political tool. "
Nathan Moore in COSMOS + TAXIS | Volume 13 Issue 5+6 2025 - read the full review here
Reviewed by John M. Smart:
"This is a fantastic book on social, political, and economic change ... After Capitalism appreciates the progress and bounty that industrial capitalism has provided, yet recognizes its many flaws, and the growing recognition that humanity needs a political and economic system that serves the interests of all humans, without ravaging our environment. A wide number of solutions have been proposed. This book covers all the ones I was aware of and several more that I had not heard of.
It beautifully outlines three visions for advances that will be critical to the next economic system to come: An environmental stewardship vision, a human-welfare and agency vision, and a technological progress and abundance vision. As the book describes, many names have been proposed for an economic system that we’d like to see evolve out of modern industrial capitalism. It doesn’t pick any one of these as most likely contenders. Instead, it leaves it to the reader to make their own choice among the many that are summarized."
John M. Smart - read the full review here
Reviewed in AFP Compass
"...Lavonne: I also found Imagining After Capitalism to be surprisingly dense with foresight tools and information. ... the book uses so many foresight tools. It's an accessible masterclass in how these tools can work together.
Abdulrahman: Absolutely. It was like the whole [Houston] master's degree in a book. He walks you through the whole process every step of the way. He uses practical wisdom, humor, and these little anecdotes that keep you going. He's not trying to persuade you toward one outcome or the other; he's just stating the facts.
Hauson: I think the way he structured these three scenarios [which comprise the second half of the book] was beautiful. He centers each one around a central problem or issue with capitalism. If we're going to have a system afterwards, then these issues need to be addressed. So, the first scenario is Circular Commons, all about addressing climate change and carrying capacity. The second is Non-Workers Paradise, focusing on social and political elements, like the role of work, imagining moving the goal from full employment to full unemployment. That one blew my mind as well. The third transformative scenario image is Tech-Led Abundance, where technology will create abundance for all. This one is where I think a lot of people will gravitate towards generally, outside of the foresight community.
Read the full review here
Reviewed by Jim Golembeski
"25 years ago, as Director of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, I experienced, along with my colleagues, the shockwave of local plant closings and worker dislocation as new technology and economic globalization drove overwhelming economic changes we hadn’t seen coming. Companies closed and workers lost jobs. We weren’t looking for the signals back then; we didn’t know how. ..
In 2025, though, we don’t have to keep going through life blindfolded. We have resources like Andy Hines, head of graduate studies in Foresight at the University of Houston, and his brand new book, Imagining After Capitalism. It’s an excellent primer on applying the process of Strategic Foresight to an issue as global as what a future economy might look like post-capitalism – in a new economic order!
...Imagining After Capitalism is an excellent guide to working through the details of identifying and reading the signals and then planning to create a preferred future instead of letting history unfold on its own terms. Particularly noteworthy is Hines’ thorough attention to the scanning and researching step. This is the phase of the Foresight process that identifies ideas, trends, pilot projects, and insights (“signals”) that indicate future opportunities for our regional economy. Applying Strategic Foresight to as large a topic as our current capitalist system makes the book all the more intriguing.
One important trend that Hines notes is that the top 0.1% wealthiest individuals continue to amass a greater percentage of national assets each year. Such events are signals that capitalism as we have known it is in trouble...
Hines’ purpose is not to denigrate capitalism. In his view, it has been an eAective economic system that has created wealth and has been vital to human development. At the same time, it is showing signs of significant stress and even decline that cannot be ignored. His book provides a structured way of thinking past the current reality toward a future of our own choosing that is stable and of benefit to all citizens, I highly recommend Imagining After Capitalism."
Jim Golembeski - read the full review here
"Andy Hines’ Imagining After Capitalism (2025) presents a bold, speculative intervention in contemporary critical thought, offering a framework to envision economic, social, and cultural structures beyond the entrenched capitalist paradigm. By engaging with utopian imaginaries and theoretical extrapolations, Hines attempts to chart a course toward alternative modes of existence where human flourishing is no longer subordinated to market imperatives.
...Imagining After Capitalism then presents a bold, provocative engagement with the necessity of envisioning alternative socio-economic structures in a world deeply entrenched in neoliberal ideology, a crossroads for classical liberalism. As an extension of utopian and speculative thought, Hines’ work resonates with contemporary debates on post-capitalist futures, where imagination is not simply an intellectual exercise but a political imperative to building New Worlds. His core argument—that we have been living in an Economy rather than a Society—captures the ideological shift that has undergirded late-stage capitalism’s reification of economic logic over collective well-being. This review situates Imagining After Capitalism into non-normative bounds as Hines suggests and into the broader intellectual traditions also transitioning to Cultural Studies.
Hines’ project ultimately follows in the tradition of utopian theorists, offering a clear rejection of the fatalism that often accompanies discussions of capitalism’s dominance. His work challenges us to rethink the frameworks of production, exchange, and labor, engaging with traditions that range from Marxist critiques of alienation to contemporary posthumanist interventions. However, a critical question emerges when examining Hines’ vision through the lens of classical liberalism: Can we construct an emancipatory economic future while still preserving the fundamental principles of individual liberty, voluntary exchange, and limited government?
... Imagining After Capitalism revitalizes the utopian impulse that is often dismissed within mainstream discourse by foregrounding imagination as a political tool. "
Nathan Moore in COSMOS + TAXIS | Volume 13 Issue 5+6 2025 - read the full review here
Reviewed by John M. Smart:
"This is a fantastic book on social, political, and economic change ... After Capitalism appreciates the progress and bounty that industrial capitalism has provided, yet recognizes its many flaws, and the growing recognition that humanity needs a political and economic system that serves the interests of all humans, without ravaging our environment. A wide number of solutions have been proposed. This book covers all the ones I was aware of and several more that I had not heard of.
It beautifully outlines three visions for advances that will be critical to the next economic system to come: An environmental stewardship vision, a human-welfare and agency vision, and a technological progress and abundance vision. As the book describes, many names have been proposed for an economic system that we’d like to see evolve out of modern industrial capitalism. It doesn’t pick any one of these as most likely contenders. Instead, it leaves it to the reader to make their own choice among the many that are summarized."
John M. Smart - read the full review here
Reviewed in AFP Compass
"...Lavonne: I also found Imagining After Capitalism to be surprisingly dense with foresight tools and information. ... the book uses so many foresight tools. It's an accessible masterclass in how these tools can work together.
Abdulrahman: Absolutely. It was like the whole [Houston] master's degree in a book. He walks you through the whole process every step of the way. He uses practical wisdom, humor, and these little anecdotes that keep you going. He's not trying to persuade you toward one outcome or the other; he's just stating the facts.
Hauson: I think the way he structured these three scenarios [which comprise the second half of the book] was beautiful. He centers each one around a central problem or issue with capitalism. If we're going to have a system afterwards, then these issues need to be addressed. So, the first scenario is Circular Commons, all about addressing climate change and carrying capacity. The second is Non-Workers Paradise, focusing on social and political elements, like the role of work, imagining moving the goal from full employment to full unemployment. That one blew my mind as well. The third transformative scenario image is Tech-Led Abundance, where technology will create abundance for all. This one is where I think a lot of people will gravitate towards generally, outside of the foresight community.
Read the full review here
Reviewed by Jim Golembeski
"25 years ago, as Director of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, I experienced, along with my colleagues, the shockwave of local plant closings and worker dislocation as new technology and economic globalization drove overwhelming economic changes we hadn’t seen coming. Companies closed and workers lost jobs. We weren’t looking for the signals back then; we didn’t know how. ..
In 2025, though, we don’t have to keep going through life blindfolded. We have resources like Andy Hines, head of graduate studies in Foresight at the University of Houston, and his brand new book, Imagining After Capitalism. It’s an excellent primer on applying the process of Strategic Foresight to an issue as global as what a future economy might look like post-capitalism – in a new economic order!
...Imagining After Capitalism is an excellent guide to working through the details of identifying and reading the signals and then planning to create a preferred future instead of letting history unfold on its own terms. Particularly noteworthy is Hines’ thorough attention to the scanning and researching step. This is the phase of the Foresight process that identifies ideas, trends, pilot projects, and insights (“signals”) that indicate future opportunities for our regional economy. Applying Strategic Foresight to as large a topic as our current capitalist system makes the book all the more intriguing.
One important trend that Hines notes is that the top 0.1% wealthiest individuals continue to amass a greater percentage of national assets each year. Such events are signals that capitalism as we have known it is in trouble...
Hines’ purpose is not to denigrate capitalism. In his view, it has been an eAective economic system that has created wealth and has been vital to human development. At the same time, it is showing signs of significant stress and even decline that cannot be ignored. His book provides a structured way of thinking past the current reality toward a future of our own choosing that is stable and of benefit to all citizens, I highly recommend Imagining After Capitalism."
Jim Golembeski - read the full review here