As the wealthiest city in Europe in the 17th century, Amsterdam transformed itself into a thriving center for great artists, scientists, writers, and scholars, as well as a hub of banking and finance. Once the city rid itself of Spanish rule and set up a society based on capitalism and world trade, it also became a metropolis that was philosophically enlightened and religiously tolerant. It encouraged art (Rembrandt and others); philosophy (Descartes); science (Leuwenhoek), new universities (University of Amsterdam); publishing (Hobbes and Locke); and the beginnings of international law (Grotius).

Historian Ralph Nurnberger explores the many facets of this capital city, from its heady rise to the collapse of tulip futures—capitalism's first “bubble.” Along the way he highlights how Amsterdam’s religious tolerance enabled Dutch Jews to modernize and practice their religion openly, as well as engage in trade in Europe and the New World.

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