Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Empire of Cotton: A Global History

Pulitzer Prize finalist; cotton caused modern capitalism

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Empire of Cotton: A Global History launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1
From Silk to Silicon▲61
The story of globalization, from 10 viewpoints.
2016 · its alternatives →
2
For God, Country, and Coca-Cola▲67
America's socio-economic history through the "glass"
2016 · its alternatives →
3
Sapiens▲185
A brief history of humankind
2015 · its alternatives →
4
A History of Silicon Valley▲71
The greatest creation of wealth in the history of the planet
2016 · its alternatives →
5
Andrew Carnegie▲119
One of America's most successful businessmen
2016 · its alternatives →
6
The Hidden Wealth of Nations▲60
The scourge of tax havens
2016 · its alternatives →
7
The Gene: An Intimate History▲74
A magnificent history of the gene
2016 · its alternatives →
8
The Gene▲64
An Intimate History
2016 · its alternatives →
9
The Great Escape▲59
Health, wealth, and the origins of inequality
2016 · its alternatives →
10
The Misfit Economy▲81
Innovation on the fringe...
2015 · its alternatives →
11
To Kill A Mockingbird▲71
Pulitzer Prize winner, an American classic
2016 · its alternatives →
12
The Quest▲62
Energy, security, and the remaking of the modern world
2015 · its alternatives →
13
The Shock Doctrine▲62
The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
2017 · its alternatives →
14
Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell▲60
Carlo doesn't remember (Capitalism requires capitalization)
2016 · its alternatives →
15
The Wealth of Nations▲69
Smith's masterpiece of economic analysis from 1776
2015 · its alternatives →
16
Naked Economics▲103
A book about economics that won’t put you to sleep
2016 · its alternatives →
17
A Confederacy of Dunces▲79
Pulitzer Prize winner, an American comic masterpiece
2016 · its alternatives →
18
Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell▲64
Reinterpreting something overlooked from the past
2016 · its alternatives →
19
The End of Alchemy▲60
Money, banking, and the future of the global economy
2016 · its alternatives →
20
The Culture Code▲66
Why people around the world live and buy as they do
2017 · its alternatives →
21
At the Edge of the Orchard▲67
A drama of a pioneer family on the American frontier
2016 · its alternatives →
22
The Oxford History of Board Games▲73
Investigates the myriad board games around the world
2015 · its alternatives →
23
Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell▲58
Food Fight: closing the gap between rich and poor
2016 · its alternatives →
24
Quartz: The Objects that Power the Global Economy▲99
A book of art, journalism, and radical economic change.
2017 · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →