Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Political economy

THE UPSIDE OF INEQUALITY

Edward Conrad

How Good Intentions Undermine the Middle Class

The scourge of America’s economy isn't the success of the 1 percent—quite the opposite. The real problem is the government’s well-meaning but misguided attempt to reduce the payoffs for success.

Challenging the facts and arguments of liberal economists from Paul Krugman to Thomas Piketty to Joseph Stiglitz, Conard reveals the contradictions in the income inequality panic. And by drawing on a historical study of the ebbs and flows of the economy, he proposes ways to grow faster—which will benefit every point of the income spectrum.

Conard is the New York Times-bestselling author of Unintended Consequences and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Available products
Book Published 2016-09-13 by Portfolio
Book Published 2016-09-13 by Portfolio

Comments

Conard makesa fresh argument for the productive value of inequality, which is that scarce entrepreneurial effort and risk-tolerant capital are the resources that are both most central to economic growth and most sensitive to the potential distortions imposed by taxation and regulation. Whether or not one accepts this argument, it’s an argument well worth having.

This provocative new book by Ed Conard isa must-read for serious students of economic policy.Conard’s core thesis—that advancement in living standards is constrained by risk capital and properly trained talent—suggests an inequality borne of returns from innovation. His solutions are sensible and all the more compelling in the context of this paean to risk-taking.

Ed Conard puts forwarda comprehensive explanation of the modern economy. Critics may dismiss it as a defense of the 1 percent, but it’s much, much more than that. I rarely see economic analysis as insightful as this.

"The Upside of Inequality" won’t convince everyone, but it’s one of this year’s economics books that is actually asking questions about the right side of the market. Read more...

Page after page, Ed Conard challenges conventional wisdom about the causes of growing inequality, the constraints to growth, and the feasibility of commonly proposed solutions to advancea thought-provoking blueprint for growing middle- and working-class incomesin a world with an abundance of workers. Whether you agree or not, this is serious thinking for serious thinkers.

Unlikely to sway those for whom the idea of economic inequality is anathema, but a set of arguments worth considering. Read more...

Ed Conardchallenges misconceptions that distort our economic debates.He debunks the myth that inequality is a conspiracy perpetuated by robber barons and sheds light on the complex economic phenomena that shape America’s success. Readers of all political persuasions will benefit from this highly-informative book.

I profoundly disagree with much of what is in Conard’s book but respect the clarity with which he makes his case. Agree or disagree, this book can sharpen your thinking on critical economic issues, making ita very valuable contribution.

THE UPSIDE OF INEQUALITY has made the New York Times Best Seller List! It’s #8 on Print Hardcover Best Sellers in the Nonfiction category. (Sept. 2016)