Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Thomas Piketty
In his controversial work, Piketty, a professor at the Paris School of Economics, traces the roots of modern capitalism back for centuries, and analyzes the current state of the global marketplace. Focusing on global wealth inequity, Piketty examines unique data from 20 countries to uncover key economic and social patterns. The New York Times compared Capital to Adam Smith?s Wealth of Nations and John Maynard Keynes? General Theory, but others, notably the Financial Times, have questioned Piketty?s methods and conclusions. Regardless of the controversy, Piketty has written an important book, one Justin Fox, executive editor of the Harvard Business Review, wrote may succeed in shifting the burden of proof within economics from one side of the debate to the other. ?No longer will one be able to simply assert that rising inequality is a necessary byproduct of prosperity, or that capital deserves protected status because it brings growth. From now on, those who say such things may be expected to provide evidence that they?re actually true.?