The Great Divide

Unequal Societies and What We Can Do About Them

By: Joseph E. Stiglitz

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

How has America become the most unequal advanced country in the world, and what can we do about it?

In The Great Divide, Joseph E. Stiglitz expands on the diagnosis he offered in his best-selling book The Price of Inequality and suggests ways to counter America's growing problem. With his signature blend of clarity and passion, Stiglitz argues that inequality is a choice - the cumulative result of unjust policies and misguided priorities.

Gathering his writings for popular outlets including Vanity Fair and The New York Times, Stiglitz exposes in full America's inequality: its dimensions, its causes, and its consequences for the nation and for the world. From the Reagan era to the Great Recession and its long aftermath, Stiglitz delves into the irresponsible policies - deregulation, tax cuts, and tax breaks for the 1 percent - that are leaving many Americans further and further behind and turning the American dream into an ever more unachievable myth. With formidable yet accessible economic insight, he urges us to embrace real solutions: increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy; offering more help to the children of the poor; investing in education, science, and infrastructure; helping out homeowners instead of banks; and, most importantly, doing more to restore the economy to full employment. Stiglitz also draws lessons from Scandinavia, Singapore, and Japan, and he argues against the tide of unnecessary, destructive austerity that is sweeping across Europe.

Ultimately, Stiglitz believes, our choice is not between growth and fairness; with the right policies, we can choose both. His complaint is not so much about capitalism as such but how 21st-century capitalism has been perverted. His is a call to confront America's economic inequality as the political and moral issue that it is.

©2015 Joseph E. Stiglitz (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

I Told You So

Although I'm sympathetic to the author's agenda and thoroughly enjoyed Piketty's Capitalism, I struggled to get through this. Not only repetitive in nature - the various essays inevitably make some of the same points over and over again - the tone seems to be intellectually snobbish. I felt like the author was out to show everyone why they should have been listening to him when he felt ignored or disregarded.

Very interesting economic view

I really like the insights that the author had. This book is well worth the listen.

Privatise the profit, socialize the loss

Financial sector earning 40% of US corporate profit sounds like a protected casino business. Time to study seriously about the platform economy further enganced by AI. Time to provide a fair and just platform for all players to earn their fair living. Anti-trust regulation on platforms is as necessary as ever on any goods and services providers for public needs and demand.

A great book by a great economist

The book is great and interesting. At the same if you need to use it for reference an electronic or a hard copy is needed.

The great divide

It a very insightful story of those who are super wealthy and how they influence those around them and in particular how the focus there money on government.