The term “hypercapitalism” refers to the existence (and acceptance) of extreme capitalism (that is, “an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state”) at the expense of traditional values. In Hyper-Capitalism, cartoonist Larry Gonick and psychologist Tim Kasser (a cartoon version of whom appear throughout the book) present a graphical account of the threat posed by hypercapitalism to human wellbeing, social justice and the world at large, as well as what the average person could be doing to tackle such problems. To do this, Hyper-Capitalism is divided into two parts. The first part, which cartoon Kasser describes as the darker part, details the growth of capitalism (along with the associated theory and practice) from pretty much the year dot to the development of its modern ‘hyper’ incarnation. The interplay between hypercapitalism and human values is also discussed, as are the impacts identified by psychologists of hypercapitalism on human value systems. All this serves to highlight the negative consequences of hypercapitalism for personal, social and ecological wellbeing. It’s grim but not unsurprising stuff. The second part of Hyper-Capitalism moves on to slightly more uplifting matters and details the various concrete steps that people worldwide are taking to combat the evils of hypercapitalism and the associated erosion of individualism, happiness and contentment. It is intended to inspire action and activism, and hence it discusses practices such as mindful buying, voluntary simplicity, sharing (whether it be information, resources or time) and better business. While fully overcoming hypercapitalism still seems like an unsurmountable task, the movements and practices for change that Kasser and Gonick highlight do serve to show that an alternative is possible, albeit one that will require a great deal of work and commitment from pretty much everyone. Ultimately, Hyper-Capitalism presents the good, the bad and the ugly of capitalism, although unsurprisingly the ‘good’ aspects are overwhelmed by the negative, divisive and downright illogical aspects of capitalism in its current hyper form. The majority of the key concepts, figures (save, for some reason, Marx) and movements are explained, but the explanations are necessarily brief given the scope of the book. Serious matters are presented with both familiarity and humour, which should help to extend the book’s appeal. It’s a great primer for anyone seeking an overview of contemporary research on, or an introduction to, hypercapitalism, its impact and what alternative approaches are currently available. Hyper-Capitalism is a very funny yet undeniably profound indictment of the failings of capitalism and the associated decline in the humanity of, well, far too many people (and institutions) really. It’s a great read for anyone interested in how the world is currently being run (in sum: poorly).