The profound failures of capitalism — at the personal, political, and ecological levels — are more evident than ever. (Here’s a quick primer on “Anti-capitalism in five minutes or less.”) The space for honest conversation about how we can transcend this pathological economic system is opening up, albeit slowly. Last month in Austin, for example, guest speaker Gar Alperovitz talked about the “next systems” project that he and others are getting ready to launch.

Scholar/activist Cynthia Kaufman’s new book Getting Past Capitalism: History, Vision, Hope contributes practical suggestions to this work. In this interview, “‘Declaring victory wherever we can’: An interview with Cynthia Kaufman on Getting Past Capitalism,” she helps us think about the language that can be effective in making the case.