Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Piketty's 685 p. text, translated from French by Arthur Goldhammer. My library hold has finally matured. Now I can see what it says.

Between the dotted lines is the Anoka County Libray's entry for the text:

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Capital in the twenty-first century

by

 

Piketty, Thomas, 1971-

Title

: 

Capital in the twenty-first century

Author

: 

Piketty, Thomas, 1971-

ISBN

: 

9780674430006

Personal Author

: 

Piketty, Thomas, 1971-

Uniform Title

: 

Capital au XXIe siècle. English

Publication Information

: 

Cambridge Massachusetts : The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2014.

Physical Description

: 

viii, 685 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

General Note

: 

Translation of the author's Le capital au XXIe siècle.

Contents

: 

Income and output -- Growth : illusions and realities -- The metamorphoses of capital -- From old Europe to the new world -- The capital/income ratio over the long run -- The capital-labor split in the twenty-first century -- Inequality and concentration : preliminary bearings -- Two worlds -- Inequality of labor income -- Inequality of capital ownership -- Merit and inheritance in the long run -- Global inequality of wealth in the twenty-first century -- A social state for the twenty-first century -- Rethinking the progressive income tax -- A global tax on capital -- The question of the public debt.

Abstract

: 

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 and shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities. He argues, however, that the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth will generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values if political action is not taken.

Subject Term

: 

Capital.

 

Income distribution.

 

Wealth.

 

Labor economics.

Added Author

: 

Goldhammer, Arthur,

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Library	Location	Holding Information
Northtown Library	Book	332.041 PIK	Northtown Library	Nonfiction Collection
Northtown Library	Book	332.041 PIK	Northtown Library	Nonfiction Collection
Northtown Library	Book	332.041 PIK	Northtown Library	Nonfiction Collection
Northtown Library	Book	332.041 PIK	Northtown Library	Nonfiction Collection
Northtown Library	Book	332.041 PIK	Northtown Library	Nonfiction Collection
Northtown Library	Book	332.041 PIK	Northtown Library	Nonfiction Collection

..........................................

Interested readers, from the ISBN, title, and author info, can search the web. Amazon would likely carry it, and there are numerous commentaries and reviews online.

The book has established traction as a text worth knowing.

As I understand things in advance of having the book in hand, Piketty looks at return on capital and rate of growth of the economy, and reaches conclusions about distribution of wealth [capital] trending.

I had earlier posted a "who's that" and got only one comment, correctly noting an online item:

http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/2014/05/more-on-piketty.html


Hat tip to Wes.

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For those living in Anoka County, the waiting list is substantial, even with multiple copies in the holdings, indicating some number of people in the County are aware of the item. If you are interested but do not want to buy a thick academic book, join the queue:

http://www.anokacountylibrary.org/

In the contents blurb the library posts, "A global tax on capital."

Now you're talking, Thomas. I'd say, "Right on," even before having the book in hand. Just based on nice policy for the 99%. Aside from justification by hundreds of pages of economic discourse and conclusions.

Just, policy. "Spread the wealth," is how Huey Long phrased the idea.