Readings recommended by 2023 editorial board
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Durable Inequality, by Charles Tilly
"Durable Inequality is a thought-provoking and wonderful sociological work on how inequalities form and become durable. Tilly focuses on categorical inequalities, i.e. dual concepts consist of rigid boundaries. The book explored how dominant groups in society exploit and hoard opportunities and how scripts and knowledge of inequalities can be subsequently expanded through emulation and adaptation in social groups and organizations. The book provides an important sociological framework for analyzing inequalities."
Recommended by: See Pok Loa Vertical Divider
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The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self
by Carl R. Trueman " Intellectual historian Carl B. Trueman gives a walk through history to understand the evolution of Western values before arriving to its current understanding of the self and society. Unsympathetic towards modern values of individualism and relativism, the book is sobering read for those interested in the role of societal values in structuring political and economic systems that more often than not perpetuate inequality. "
Recommended by: Arman Husein Vertical Divider
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The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island
by Chloe Hooper "The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island is a journalistic, non-fiction account of the death in custody of an Indigenous man in Australia, the subsequent inquest and trial of police officer Christopher Hurley. In doing so, author Chloe Hooper takes readers through remote communities, explores Indigenous myths and stories and gives windows into the embedded structural violence and historical inequities in Australia, the ongoing impact these have on individuals and communities and the continuing very real disadvantage, pain and suffering this causes."
Recommended by: Laura McArthur Vertical Divider
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Capitalism, Alone: The Future of the System That Rules the World by Branko Milanovic
"A thought-provoking book about capitalism as an encompassing socio-economic system. The book examines capitalism's past, present, and future and its rivalling systems. Building upon the concept of Varieties of Capitalism, Milanovic delineates the prevailing ideal types, Liberal Meritocratic Capitalism and Political Capitalism, and their features, as well as how globalization has shaped the political economy. Thus, the book does not only discuss trends in inequality around the world but sketches a normative vision of the socio-economic system of the future and which policies could ultimately lead us there."
Recommended by: Jesse Magin Vertical Divider
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Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth
""This book challenges a lot of what we know of mainstream economics, which is largely based on the neoliberal paradigm. Economist Kate Raworth offers a new way of thinking in balancing the different aspects of development, with a view to meeting the needs of the people but ensuring the sustainability of earth's resources for our future. This new thinking is better visualised in the shape of a doughnut, hence the 'Doughnut Economics'. She argues further that the phenomenon of inequality is a 'design failure', implying that economies can be designed better to ensure fair redistribution of wealth, incomes, and opportunities. While the model is not promised by Kate Raworth as the be-all and end-all, this book critiques current economic theories and inspires its readers to likewise think outside the box."
Recommended by: Marianne Vital Vertical Divider
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Davos Man by Peter Goodman
"Peter Goodman takes what many suspect to be true about the mega-wealthy and spends hundreds of pages investigating how their public personas of being benevolent billionaires are often little more than lip service. While a bit repetitive and predictable, Goodman makes a strong case that many of the people who control the largest companies in the world are subservient only to themselves and their bottom lines, rising (if you will) above communities, nationalities, or even the greater good."
Recommended by: Alfredo Praticò Vertical Divider
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Invisible Women, by Criado Perez
"Invisible Women argues that overcoming data bias is a necessary condition toward achieving greater gender equality in our societies. Perez contends that our societies being androcentric — designed by and for men — mean that there is little data collected on women’s experiences. She highlights that this is not just sexist but is actively harmful for women, affecting not only their economic and social capabilities but their health and life trajectories."
Recommended by: Sanjana Balakrishnan Vertical Divider
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Racial Realignment by Eric Schickler
"One of the best works on the history of labor and civil rights in the United States. Schickler traces the radical racial justice program of the Congress of Industrial Organizations from the 1930s through the 1960s, demonstrating that the realignment of political parties around racial progressivism and conservatism was intentional and by the 1940s largely complete in public opinion and local party organizations. National party leaders were laggards, only acknowledging these transformations at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. A brilliant work of history, sociology, and political science, Racial Realignment is required reading for anyone interested in labor organizing, racial justice, and U.S. history."
Recommended by: Otto Barenberg Vertical Divider
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World Inequality Report 2022, Edited by Lucas Chancel Thomas Piketty Emmanuel Saez Gabriel Zucman
"For the second time (the first being 2018) the World Inequality Lab presents their analysis of the data compiled in the World Inequality Database (WID). Established by some of the world’s most important inequality researchers, such as Thomas Piketty and the late Anthony B. Atkinson, the World Inequality Lab aims at helping the world understand the drivers of inequality through evidence and data. The WID is today the largest public database on worldwide inequality. The 2022 report comprises ten chapters range from overall insights and geographical comparisons of inequality today, to historical analyses of inequality since the 1820’s. Its mid-chapters focus on specific phenomena such as the rise of multimillonairses and gender inequality. The closing ones press upon the need for policy changes in terms of tax collection and better wealth redistribution. The report also includes country sheets with specific data on their inequality of income and wealth, and sets of social inequalities by countries. The worldwide insitghts and country-specific inequality portraits make it a must read for anyone who intends to get a data driven understanding of these crucal phenomena."
Recommended by: María-José Gómez-Ruiz Vertical Divider
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Child of the Dark: the diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus by Carolina Maria de Jesus
"The book "Child of the Dark" offers us a side of inequality rarely explored in literature: where the reality of its challenges is directly spoken by the living narratives of people in the margins of society. This book, a true story, is a compilation of the diaries of Carolina Maria de Jesus, a migrant from Minas Gerais and single mother who lived in Canindé, the once biggest favela of São Paulo, which was destroyed for the construction of the well-known Tiete Marginal. The book offers a glimpse of the challenging reality of Carolina Maria de Jesus and the people living in the favelas in the 1950s, dealing with themes like hunger, violence, and costumes. This literature, considered by many as an atemporal narrative, highlights the realities of those who live in a situation of misery across decades. "
Recommended by: Luena Ricardo Vertical Divider
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Major Thinkers in Welfare, by George
"The book covers the viewpoints of welfare theorists from antiquity to the nineteenth century. It explores topics such as wealth, poverty and inequality, slavery, and gender issues through the eyes of Aristotle, Locke, and Karl Marx, among others. This book explains how the concepts of history's greatest welfare theorists may help us address today's most pressing social concerns."
Recommended by: Silvia Grothe Vertical Divider
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The Costs of Inequality in Latin America: Lessons and Warnings for the Rest of the World by Diego Sánchez-Ancochea
In his book examines the ramifications of inequality, ranging from stagnated economic growth to democratic backsliding. He draws on case studies from Latin America, one of the world’s most unequal regions, to elucidate his argument. While writing for a general audience, Sánchez-Ancochea provides a comprehensive overview of economic inequality in the region. Furthermore, he offers empirical examples of the innovative ways in which Latin America has fought against entrenched inequities.
Recommended by: Sarah Philips Vertical Divider
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An American Sickness by Elisabeth Rosenthal
This is an incredibly in-depth analysis of how and why the American healthcare system is as dysfunctional as it is. Written to be accessible to someone with no prior knowledge, Rosenthal traces the origins of the healthcare industry back to its roots in Texas, and poignantly identifies how the industry never really meant to become the swirling behemoth that it is today. A must-read for anyone who 1) has lots of debates about the American healthcare system or 2) wants to dip their toes into healthcare policy by starting with one of the most fascinating and complex systems in the world.
Recommended by: Max Klapow Vertical Divider
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