Ratings23
Average rating4.1
What are the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital? Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth lie at the heart of political economy. But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality.
Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality--the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth--today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and may do so again.
A work of extraordinary ambition, originality, and rigor, Capital in the Twenty-First Century reorients our understanding of economic history and confronts us with sobering lessons for today.
(Original text from the spine of the book)
Reviews with the most likes.
Ganske tung bok, men anbefaler den likevel. Spesielt de to siste delene, som er mer rettet mot konkret handling, var nyttige for meg. Boka er innom mange ulike aspekter ved kapitalisme og skjevfordeling av midler som jeg tror er vel så relevante i dag som da boka kom ut. Skulle ønske at miljøperspektivet ble utdypet noe mer, tror akkurat dette har økt sin aktualitet i størst grad.
What I liked:
Based on solid research and data, tackles problems in a systematic approach, very insightful, easygoing and simplified, and the use of novels and historical pop-cult references to compres economic values.
What I didn't like:
He discussed 20th century economic way more than the 21st, even though I understand that we must look back to look forward but I'd have loved to indulge in more futuristic discussions and scenarios.
Who should read it:
Anyone interested in socioeconomics even without any previous background
1-line summary:
A progressive global tax on capital in the best way to reduce inequality.