What Money Can't Buy

The years leading up to the financial crisis of 2008 were a heady time of market faith and deregulation—an era of market triumphalism. Market expansion. Over the past few decades, market thinking and market mechanisms have reached into spheres of life traditionally governed by nonmarket norms. We see this in the proliferation of for-profit schools, hospitals, and prisons; the outsourcing of war to private military contractors; and the aggressive marketing of prescription drugs. Other examples include: This trend reflects a growing faith in markets as the primary means for achieving the public

Lesson 1: Markets are expanding into spheres of life traditionally governed by nonmarket norms

This principle from What Money Can't Buy is backed by Michael J. Sandel's extensive research and real-world examples. Understanding it deeply can shift how you approach decisions, relationships, and long-term planning in meaningful ways.

Lesson 2: The fairness objection: Markets can be coercive under conditions of inequality

This principle from What Money Can't Buy is backed by Michael J. Sandel's extensive research and real-world examples. Understanding it deeply can shift how you approach decisions, relationships, and long-term planning in meaningful ways.

Lesson 3: The corruption objection: Markets can degrade the moral value of certain goods

This principle from What Money Can't Buy is backed by Michael J. Sandel's extensive research and real-world examples. Understanding it deeply can shift how you approach decisions, relationships, and long-term planning in meaningful ways.

How to Apply What Money Can't Buy's Lessons

The real value of What Money Can't Buy lies in its applicability. After reading, the most important step is identifying which of Michael J. Sandel's principles speak most directly to your current situation.

Consider keeping a journal while reading — noting where the ideas challenge your current approach and where they confirm what you already suspected. The friction of your own resistance often points to the most important insights.

Key Quote

"Markets are expanding into spheres of life traditionally governed by nonmarket norms" — Michael J. Sandel, What Money Can't Buy

About the Author

Michael J. Sandel is the author of What Money Can't Buy. The book reflects years of research, observation, and synthesis of evidence from multiple disciplines.