Divided

Book excerpt: Essays on the dangers of the wealth and income gap, collected by the New York Times–bestselling author of It’s Even Worse Than You Think. This collection includes writings by a wide range of voices—including Adam Smith, Elizabeth Warren, Barbara Ehrenreich, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Studs Terkel, Paul Krugman, Barack Obama, and David Cay Johnston—illuminating the reality of economic inequality in America, where in spite of the fury that followed the 2008 financial crisis, little has to been done to address the gulf between the one percent and the ninety-nine percent. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist David Cay Johnston explains that in this most unequal of developed nations, every aspect of inequality remains hotly contested and poorly understood. These writings, from leading scholars, journalists, and activists, offers a multifaceted look at the problem, exploring its devastating—and dangerous—implications in areas as diverse as education, justice, health care, social mobility, and political representation. Provocative and eminently readable, here is an essential resource for anyone who cares about the future of America—and compelling evidence that inequality can be ignored only at the nation’s peril.