Written by one of the great late 19th-century/early-20th-century spiritual and social writers of England, this is a collection of essays addressing the problems of the Industrial Revolution with Christian philosophy and social thought. Among the topics included are industrialism and the rise of unemployment; the evil of the wage system; the importance of land ownership and the restoration of craft production; the necessary connection between real work and spiritual salvation. It is intended for anyone studying social and economic thought as well as Catholic and Christian studies.

"Even more important today than when it was first published eighty years ago. . . . His words . . . foreshadow our current situation." -- Shelia McCarthy, Catholic Worker