Take a photo of a barcode or cover
pevansgreenwood's review against another edition
3.0
It provides a good overview of where the inequality in the US has come from, but the recommendations on what to do about it are a mixed bag.
comadivine11's review against another edition
5.0
Quite possibly one of the most important books I have ever read. This book explained and cemented things that I have been at least peripherally aware of for sometime but did not fully understand.
I think the most important takeaway from this book is twofold. First, that the 1% has increasingly co-opted our government and economic policies to benefit themselves at the expense of the rest of us. Most importantly, they have managed to convince a large portion of the 99% that the interests of the 1% are actually synonymous with the interests of the 99%.
The second important takeaway is that the reality is that it is in all of our interests to promote fairness and reduce (not eliminate) inequality. In other words, it is in all of our self-interests' to look out for the other guy. A stronger, healthier economy that benefits everyone and not just those at the top will lead to greater wealth for everyone, including the 1%.
Read this book.
I think the most important takeaway from this book is twofold. First, that the 1% has increasingly co-opted our government and economic policies to benefit themselves at the expense of the rest of us. Most importantly, they have managed to convince a large portion of the 99% that the interests of the 1% are actually synonymous with the interests of the 99%.
The second important takeaway is that the reality is that it is in all of our interests to promote fairness and reduce (not eliminate) inequality. In other words, it is in all of our self-interests' to look out for the other guy. A stronger, healthier economy that benefits everyone and not just those at the top will lead to greater wealth for everyone, including the 1%.
Read this book.
jammy_dodger123's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting as well as a sobering, and dare I say it, depressing read. As a Brit I would have preferred the book to have more of an internationalist slant but that would probably have been too ambitious. UK has all the US parallels anyway. Other European countries have been far more successful in dealing with inequality. It was the politics that was really telling- apparently deliberate policies to protect the 1%. Actually reading a “pre Trump” book in 2020 makes for some interesting ironies. Stieglitz foresaw that this was the type of leader the US would get if inequality was not dealt with. In UK, the equivalent price of inequality was Johnson and Brexit.
veganshay's review against another edition
4.0
Stiglitz does it again...explaining the world's economic problems with clarity and vision, and the political sclerosis that engenders them.
The ending is downbeat but the pessimism is understandable considering the disappointing response of the Obama administration and Euro Austeritarians to the financial crisis.
One quibble: he picks on Microsoft a lot even though in recent years it's Apple that have been abusing their dominant market position, while giving nothing back...Chrystia Freeland was guilty of the same pro-Apple bias in her book Plutocrats. They obviously use Macs themselves, which are the computers of the global 1%. It's really depressing to me that so many Macheads still think Microsoft is the Evil Empire even though Bill Gates has given so much to charity.
Still, read this book if you want to understand how the world works.
The ending is downbeat but the pessimism is understandable considering the disappointing response of the Obama administration and Euro Austeritarians to the financial crisis.
One quibble: he picks on Microsoft a lot even though in recent years it's Apple that have been abusing their dominant market position, while giving nothing back...Chrystia Freeland was guilty of the same pro-Apple bias in her book Plutocrats. They obviously use Macs themselves, which are the computers of the global 1%. It's really depressing to me that so many Macheads still think Microsoft is the Evil Empire even though Bill Gates has given so much to charity.
Still, read this book if you want to understand how the world works.
njyx's review against another edition
5.0
Eye opening and frightening. Hard to understand why there is not more public discourse about these very serious issues.
anja_ke's review against another edition
4.0
Oh my god I finished! After many years I finally finished!
This is not easy to read and I always got really tired because my brain had to really work in free time, so I feel asleep and ... took years. But at least I also read citations which in some cases were very insightful and hilarious and sometimes referring to Stieglitz own papers. So maybe he is arrogant but he got Nobel Prize for this so he is allowed.
It is now a bit outdated - see above I took years to finish.
This book does improve ones knowledge and I really hope some of his suggestions are implemented.
This is not easy to read and I always got really tired because my brain had to really work in free time, so I feel asleep and ... took years. But at least I also read citations which in some cases were very insightful and hilarious and sometimes referring to Stieglitz own papers. So maybe he is arrogant but he got Nobel Prize for this so he is allowed.
It is now a bit outdated - see above I took years to finish.
This book does improve ones knowledge and I really hope some of his suggestions are implemented.
tyworld's review against another edition
3.0
WARNING! You cannot un-read this book. You cannot unknow the truth. You cannot
Chris Rock said, "If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets." That statement hit me and made me think. How rich are the rich, when compared to an average Joe like me? Joseph E. Stiglitz answers the question, and it is unsettling.
"As the reality sinks in that we are no longer a country of opportunity and that even our long-vaunted rule of law and system of justice have been compromised, even our sense of national identity may be put into jeopardy."
Chris Rock said, "If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets." That statement hit me and made me think. How rich are the rich, when compared to an average Joe like me? Joseph E. Stiglitz answers the question, and it is unsettling.
"As the reality sinks in that we are no longer a country of opportunity and that even our long-vaunted rule of law and system of justice have been compromised, even our sense of national identity may be put into jeopardy."
canttalknow_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Changed the way I look at the whole 1% agenda.