He offers case studies of economists' limited attempts to analyze waste, and paints a vivid picture of how a narrow preconception of human nature has precluded society from escaping the tight bounds of market organization. As an alternative, Perelman develops Charles Fourier's concept of passionate labor. Using examples ranging from wartime selflessness to blood donations and computer programming, he demonstrates that passionate labor has the potential to elevate both human performance and satisfaction well beyond the shallow limits imposed by markets.