Socialism: Past and Future

Marc Notes: Originally published: New York: Arcade, 1989.; Includes bibliographical references and index. Contributor Bio:  Harrington, Michael Michael Harrington is a political economist, public policy analyst, and author. He holds advanced degrees in political science, finance, and economics. He currently writes on economic policy and politics on the blog, Casino Capitalism and Crapshoot Politics. Harrington has harbored a life-long fascination with the art, culture, and politics of the Italian Renaissance, and has lived and studied in Italy, near Florence. His enduring interest in the social movements and artistic creativity of this period led him to study the life stories of Girolamo Savonarola, Niccolo Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. As a visiting scholar to the Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, he conducted research with primary Renaissance materials for his dramatized history-fiction trilogy on Savonarola and Machiavelli, titled The City of Man: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso. He recently published two more works. Saving Mona Lisa is a novel about the world's most famous painting told through the eyes of Leonardo da Vinci's young assistant and eventual archivist, Francesco Melzi. The story is inspired by two real mysteries: Why did Leonardo insist the painting was never finished, refusing to surrender it to its rightful owner? And, who painted the copies, several of which depict Mona Lisa bare-breasted? The story delves into the conflicts inherent to artistic creativity and love by examining one of the most creative and complex personalities in history. Political Economy Simplified: A Citizen's Survival Guide is a condensed public policy primer that integrates analyses of economics, financial markets, and American politics into a broad overview of national policy for citizen-voters. This primer derives from and supplements the author's weblog, Casino Capitalism and Crapshoot Politics. His latest book, published November 1, 2013, is a political novel that modernizes the Renaissance conflict between religion and politics to the current era of religious fundamentalism and secular politics. This work, titled In God We Trust, develops a Machiavellian plot that dramatizes Washington politics during the period from the Millennial through 9/11 and the build-up to the Iraq War.