DAUK Political Book Club - The Asset Class by Hettie O'Brien

The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself

By Hettie O’Brien

 

On Tuesday February 9th, we will meet on Zoom to discuss The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself by Hettie O’Brien. 

A thrilling, eye opening investigation into private equity, a secretive wing of the finance industry that is so relentlessly destructive, it could potentially undermine our way of life.

For decades, private equity firms have infiltrated every corner of modern life. Wielding debt as a weapon, they push vital services into crisis. Their cover story: that this is merely the “creative destruction” essential to growth. Old-school capitalists say they’re dismantling everything that made our economies work. From Copenhagen to San Francisco, Barcelona to the Yorkshire Dales, O’Brien follows the money, the trail of destruction, and the industry’s murky ideological roots from 1970s trips to Moscow to the present day.  What she finds is chilling: private equity isn’t just reshaping the economy—it’s selling out the foundations of Western society.

Hettie O'Brien is a lead writer and assistant opinion editor at the Guardian, and a regular contributor at the Guardian Long Read. She previously worked as a writer and editor at the New Statesman, and as a reporter covering the Federal Trade Commission in Washington D.C. This is her first book.

 

“Everyone should read The Asset Class . . . Bang on the money” – GUARDIAN

 

“O'Brien has entered a hidden world and exposed its secrets. This is financial journalism at its best . . . utterly terrifying and too plausible for comfort” - Peter Oborne, author of The Assault on Truth

 

“A brilliant and penetrating analysis exposing the larceny that powers the private equity industry. “ - Nicholas Shaxson, author of The Finance Curse

 

At 7:30pm we will discuss the book for 45 minutes, then discuss current events for 30 minutes, finishing at 8:45pm.  RSVP here to receive the Zoom link and book discussion questions.  Any questions? Contact [email protected] 

All are welcome, even if you haven't read the book.  Here is more to complement or substitute for reading the book in a way that fits your schedule. 

“Want to know capitalism’s endgame? Just look at private equity – it has captured our everyday lives” - Hattie O'Brien in The Guardian

Book Review in The Guardian

Book Review  in the Literary Review

Interview at Lighthouse Bookshop (1 hour, 6 min)

“The Billionaire Machine” an interview with The Break-Down (48 min)

 

UK Book Cover:

 

WHEN

Tuesday, February 09, 2027 at 07:30 PM London Time

WHERE

This is a virtual event. See the event description above or RSVP for virtual participation options.

CONTACT

DAUK Political Book Club
[email protected]