Nature, Culture, and Inequality

An insightful exploration of the nature of inequality.

In his new work, Thomas Piketty explores how social inequality manifests itself very differently depending on society and epoch in which it arises. History and culture play a central role, inequality being strongly linked to various socio-economic, political, civilisational, and religious developments. So it is culture in the broadest sense that makes it possible to explain the diversity, extent, and structure of the social inequality that we observe every day. Piketty briefly and concisely presents a lively synthesis of his work, taking up such diverse topics as education, inheritance, taxes, and the climate crisis, and provides exciting food for thought for a highly topical debate- Does natural inequality exist?

‘Through his seminal works, Piketty has become a beacon for those seeking to comprehend and combat economic inequity. He’s not just an economist, he’s also a visionary whose ideas inspire a new generation to debate and shape a (much) more equitable future.‘
-Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind and Utopia For Realists

‘This brilliant little book distills years of world-class research on inequality into a punchy argument with wonderful insights on every page. For anyone interested in the problem of inequality and how to solve it, this is the perfect place to start.‘
-Jason Hickel, author of The Divide and Less Is More

‘In a hundred engaging and easy-to-read pages, Thomas Piketty paints a vivid portrait of economic inequality’s many faces – as it relates to income, wealth, gender, education, taxation, inheritance, debt, and climate change. Throughout, Piketty documents the collective choices that have charted inequality’s past path in order to challenge democratic politics to build a more equal future. If you have one hour to devote to thinking about economic inequality today, spend it with this book.‘
-Daniel Markovits, author of The Meritocracy Trap

Author Biography

Thomas Piketty (Author) Thomas Piketty is Professor at cole des Hautes tudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and the Paris School of Economics, and co-director of the World Inequality Lab. Best known for his bestselling book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, he is also the author of Capital and Ideology and A Brief History of Equality, among other works.

Willard Wood (Translator) Willard Wood is the winner of the 2002 Lewis Galanti re Award for Literary Translation and a 2000 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Translation. Willard has translated more than thirty books from the French. His recent books include Constellation by Adrien Bosc and The Goddess of Small Victories by Yannick Grannec. He lives in Connecticut.