A Brief History of Equality

A leading world economist and expert on inequality presents a brief and surprisingly optimistic history of humanity's quest for equality, despite crises and calamities. It is easy to succumb to pessimism when hearing about inequality every day. However, in his new book, Thomas Piketty
reminds humanity that the grand sweep of history gives us grounds for optimism. Piketty elegantly and succinctly analyzes the great ideas that have defined the modern world and colored it with shades of "bad" and "good": the rise of capitalism, revolutions, imperialism, slavery, wars
and the establishment of the welfare state.
The history of equality is a story of violence and social struggle, interspersed with regressions and catastrophes. But, despite all this, as Piketty shows, human societies have consistently moved towards a more equitable distribution of income and wealth, the reduction of racial and gender inequality
and broader access to healthcare, education, and civil rights. This book is both a wonderful introduction to the innovative ideas developed in Thomas Piketty's monumental work "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" and an incredibly valuable standalone study.