Åbo Akademis bibliotek

Iraq and Syria bring to mind bombs, terrorism, and human suffering. Still, every time violence ceases in Mosul or Aleppo, bazaars and daily life spring back to life.

No wonder. Here, European merchants flocked for centuries, and while politics come and go, traditions die hard.

In this historical tour de force, Iranian-Kurdish author Dr. Nima Sanandaji tells the long history of free markets in the Middle East, where banks and capitalism emerged millennials ago. It is a history rich in imagery and learning, and yet, maybe it's most important feature is the lessons it provides for today's Western world.

Could it be that it is to ancient Middle East we must turn in order to recapture the attitudes and social fabric that once made us successful?

The Birthplace of Capitalism - the Middle East shows that the road towards peace and freedom in the Middle East is to again embrace free enterprise and international exchange. In the past lies the future.

Dr. Nima Sanandaji is an author, with a doctorate degree in engineer, known for a stream of comprehensive policy reports and books on enterprise and public administration.

Dr. Sanandaji has written over 20 books and 70 public policy reports, on policy issues ranging from women’s career opportunities to technological transformation, taxes, education, and welfare.