List Price: $40.00 Details

Save: $6.00 (15%)

& FREE Returns

FREE delivery: Friday, Dec 10 Details

Fastest delivery: Wednesday, Dec 8
Order within 16 hrs and 3 mins Details

In Stock.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

$$34.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: Returnable until Jan 31, 2022

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

FREE delivery: Saturday, Dec 11 Details

Fastest delivery: Friday, Dec 10

Used: Good | Details

Sold by City of Tree Textbook

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers on Amazon

$28.00
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: *Smart Student*

$22.61
+ $5.39 shipping

Sold by: rowinskibooks

$29.47
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: -Bookworm-

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

Thomas Sowell

Wealth, Poverty and Politics Hardcover – September 6, 2016

by Thomas Sowell (Author)

620 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

eTextbook

"Please retry"

$25.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$34.00

$22.61

$19.98

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$17.47

—

Enhance your purchase

In Wealth, Poverty, and Politics, Thomas Sowell, one of the foremost conservative public intellectuals in this country, argues that political and ideological struggles have led to dangerous confusion about income inequality in America. Pundits and politically motivated economists trumpet ambiguous statistics and sensational theories while ignoring the true determinant of income inequality: the production of wealth. We cannot properly understand inequality if we focus exclusively on the distribution of wealth and ignore wealth production factors such as geography, demography, and culture.

Sowell contends that liberals have a particular interest in misreading the data and chastises them for using income inequality as an argument for the welfare state. Refuting Thomas Piketty, Paul Krugman, and others on the left, Sowell draws on accurate empirical data to show that the inequality is not nearly as extreme or sensational as we have been led to believe.

Transcending partisanship through a careful examination of data, Wealth, Poverty, and Politics reveals the truth about the most explosive political issue of our time.

Print length

576 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Basic Books
Publication date

September 6, 2016
Dimensions

6.45 x 2.05 x 9.55 inches
ISBN-10

046509676X
ISBN-13

978-0465096763
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Thomas Sowell
2,857
Hardcover
in Local U.S. Politics
59 offers from $13.20
Thomas Sowell
2,929
Hardcover
in Libertarianism
80 offers from $20.99
Thomas Sowell
1,596
Paperback
81 offers from $7.87
Thomas Sowell
939
Paperback
61 offers from $11.50
Thomas Sowell
2,557
Paperback
66 offers from $13.04
Thomas Sowell
597
Hardcover
62 offers from $15.95

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Thomas Sowell
2,857
Hardcover
in Local U.S. Politics
59 offers from $13.20
Thomas Sowell
2,929
Hardcover
in Libertarianism
80 offers from $20.99
Thomas Sowell
1,596
Paperback
81 offers from $7.87
Thomas Sowell
939
Paperback
61 offers from $11.50
Thomas Sowell
2,557
Paperback
66 offers from $13.04
Thomas Sowell
597
Hardcover
62 offers from $15.95

Special offers and product promotions

Create your FREE Amazon Business account to save up to 10% with Business-only prices and free shipping.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Transcending partisanship through a careful examination of data, Wealth, Poverty, and Politics reveals the truth about the most explosive political issue of our time."―Conservative Book Club

"A calmly phrased but damning indictment of perhaps the world's most rhetorical blunt political instrument: class hatred."―Washington Times

"A true gem in terms of exposing the demagoguery and sheer ignorance of politicians and intellectuals in their claims about wealth and poverty.... Dr. Sowell's new book tosses a monkey wrench into most of the things said about income by politicians, intellectuals and assorted hustlers, plus it's a fun read."―Prof. Walter E. Williams, George Mason University, Townhall

"In his latest tome, [Sowell] draws from this well of research to do what he has done so well for so long: question basic assumptions behind public policy and follow the facts where they lead him."―Jason Riley, Wall Street Journal

"It's a scandal that economist Thomas Sowell has not been awarded the Nobel Prize. No one alive has turned out so many insightful, richly researched books. His latest is another triumph of crackling observations that underscore the ignorance of our economists and policymakers. His take on how culture, geography, politics and social factors affect how societies progress -- or don't -- will rile those addicted to political correctness but leave everyone else wiser."―Steve Forbes, Forbes Magazine

"Sowell has done us a great service by placing our current controversies in international context."―National Review

"Sowell's latest book, latest of 52 by my count, contains the kind of acute analysis and fearless commentary his readers have relied on since 1971's Economics: Analysis and Issues... his writing is crystal-clear, free of academic jargon and the kind of specialist clutter that often disfigures the writing of academics.... Most of his books remain in print and repay the time of thoughtful readers, as does Wealth, Poverty, and Politics. Santa should be aware of this."―American Spectator

"[Wealth, Poverty and Politics] should be one of the most influential works of the 2016 election season. This isn't just a work of characteristic brilliance from Sowell -- it's a laser-guided intellectual weapon aimed at the foundations of liberal envy politics.... Dr. Sowell's book is a masterful fusion of science and common sense on the subject of why some groups are impoverished, and what society can do to lift them out of poverty.... Every presidential candidate should read this book immediately, and require all campaign surrogates to digest it as well.... Wealth, Poverty, and Politics provides the sharp intellectual weapons necessary to cut through that argument, and its wisdom can help conservatives design policies that might actually make a difference."―Breitbart

"This...book will enhance and promote ongoing and important debates and discussions."―Booklist

"A provocative analysis of the universal causes of economic success and failure.... While Sowell offers no pat solutions, his implied argument that cultural considerations must inform any serious attempt at improving the economic prospects of an underperforming nation or group merits serious consideration."―Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is the author of dozens of books including Charter Schools and Their Enemies, winner of the 2021 Hayek Book Prize. He is the recipient of numerous other awards, including the National Humanities Medal, presented by the President of the United States in 2003.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 2nd edition (September 6, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 576 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 046509676X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465096763
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.84 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.45 x 2.05 x 9.55 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #60,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #10 in Comparative Economics (Books)
- #34 in Income Inequality
- #39 in Poverty

Customer Reviews:
620 ratings

Start reading Wealth, Poverty and Politics on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Thomas Sowell

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

5 star		89%
4 star		8%
3 star		1%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Beowulf

The History of the World

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

Someone on this site calls Sowell "Hammer of the Ignorant." That's perfect.

Here's how good this book is: I listened to it and also read parts of it of it on a copy I borrowed from the library--and as soon as I finished, I ordered the new, second and expanded edition, on Amazon so I could read it again. (I almost never, ever buy books brand new.) This treats themes that Sowell has been exploring for years, but the real focus of this one is that the world is not a level playing field, geographically or in any other way--and that we don't do anything to provoke progress by lying to ourselves about human history. At one point, Sowell offhandedly states, "When you want to help people, tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell him what they want to hear" (365). That's the core idea of the book. Highly recommended.

UPDATE: In light of COVID-19, I finally picked up the expanded edition that I ordered after I went through it the first time. I just finished reading the expanded edition. It's terrific. You can feel yourself getting smarter as you read it. And his thesis comes late in the book, in the penultimate paragraph: "It is by no means obvious why we should prefer trying to equalize incomes to putting our efforts into increasing output" (423).

This is Thomas Sowell's history of the world. Read it. He's swinging for the fences and hits one home run after another.

56 people found this helpful

Helpful

At the Top of His Game

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

While this book has recently appeared in an expanded edition, those who have read both versions prefer this one because of its concise arguments. It is typical Thomas Sowell: absolutely lucid (despite the complexity of the subject) and filled with hard facts and common sense.

The title suggests a larger subject, but it is really an examination of a small but very important subject, written from an unusually broad perspective. The subject, ultimately, is the plight of urban minorities and the degree to which that plight is the result of the actions of others. ‘Systemic racism’, e.g., is the cry of the academic and the black ‘leader’/race hustler. Sowell demonstrates, to the contrary, that urban minorities were in far better condition before the welfare statism of the 1960’s, even though actual racism was deeper and broader. He also demonstrates the global practices of minority ‘leaders’—preaching discontent, division and the blame of others in an attempt to feather their own nests and sustain their own livelihood.

A major theme of the book is the negative impact of isolation. Those outside of the educational and cultural mainstream, e.g., suffer as a result of that condition and Sowell extends the discussion in fascinating ways. Western Europeans, e.g., have been more wealthy and more successful than Eastern Europeans in part because their rivers flow to the sea and connect them with other people, with whom they can trade and from whom they can acquire knowledge, including the discovery of new technologies. When the British encountered the Maoris in Australia, e.g., they found that they were living in the stone age, even though Australia is rich in natural resources. Jews did not ace standardized tests when their language was confined to Yiddish and when they were discriminated against by college admissions offices. The Chinese led the world in many ways, until one of their medieval emperors decided to sink their ships and cut off contact with the rest of the world.

Sowell loves to pull the beards of the self-confident who lack facts, e.g., those who claim that minority students are discriminated against on standardized tests because the tests contain ‘white bias’. If that is the case, why are the whites taking the tests consistently eclipsed by Asians?

He argues from unexpected data bases. When decrying the notion of equality of result, e.g., he suggests that certain endeavors are simply not amenable to eutopian plans and desires. Those on the PGA tour, e.g., seldom win tournaments. Those who do generally only win a small handful, and yet, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won hundreds. He talks about the Sander theory of mismatch with regard to affirmative action but then points out that blacks (and the Irish before them, who faced great discrimination) succeeded in both athletics and entertainment, fields that are ruthlessly competitive and endlessly meritocratic. They entered those fields because other doors were closed, but they did not need to have expectations reduced in their favor.

Broadly speaking, this is popular economics done well; he utilizes geography, sociology, history and other branches of social science to construct compelling arguments. In some cases his argument is compelling because the standard arguments made overlook key facts that are enormously important. Just one example: those who agonize over gaps and disparities in income tend to look at groupings that are actually moving targets. When they talk about the poor, the rich and those with middle incomes they are not talking about living/breathing human beings. They are talking about statistical aggregates that change; they often change because the government redefines poverty. In America, it has often been said, the poor live lives comparable to those of the upper middle class in Mexico.

Actual people move between the statistical categories. We all tend to make less money when we enter the workforce than when we have decades of experience and acquired skills. Actually, a striking number of individuals move from the bottom deciles to the top ones and those in the top are often there for very brief periods of time because they have specific periods of windfall, through investments, inheritance, and so on. He draws a distinction between income and wealth. Income may be much higher when we are in our 50’s, e.g., but wealth can be greater among the retired because their houses are paid off and they have accumulated goods over a lifetime. In the course of the book he takes aim at such commentators as Thomas Piketty, John Rawls, Paul Krugman and Nicholas Kristof and many of the results are delicious.

Bottom line: this is TS at the top of his game and this is a book that would make a perfect Christmas gift for friends and relatives who need to clear their minds of cant.

37 people found this helpful

Helpful

Powerful and Convincing

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

What a refreshingly honest look at the factors leading to economic success or failure for nations or various groups within nations. They key insights are that it is the interaction of various factors that lead to success or failure and that among the most important of these factors is culture.

Sowell argues persuasively for his views and his arguments are not easily dismissed. Sowell believes that in order to progress, lagging groups or nations must face facts as they are and not as they wish them to be. Claiming that it is only external factors, in other words obstacles from others, only gives lagging groups a reason not to take actions themselves. Ultimately this leads to a worsening of the problem. Sowell provides evidence to back up his views and he shows how policy changes to help lagging groups often makes the situation worse.

This is certainly not a politically correct viewpoint and if you know anything about Thomas Sowell this will not surprise you. Clearly Sowell is a first rate intellect and he is very convincing. If you are going to disagree with him you are going to have to deal with his arguments.

Highly Recommended.

106 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

John Hawkins

A Calm, Rational Explanation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand not just why the current fashion for identity politics is misguided, but also the motives that make it seem attractive. It calmly explores the myriad factors that explain unequal economic outcomes both between, and within, nations.

Thomas Sowell writes methodically, at times perhaps laboriously, to make his points. This is a book which gives the sense of trying to teach and inform, rather than one which just wants to throw an opinion into an already crowded space. If the pace seems slow, particularly in the early chapters, my advice is to stick with it. The sheer amount of insight, the number of lightbulb moments, will more than repay the time spent reading it.

This book is not a harsh polemic promoting a particular ideological standpoint, but instead a quiet exposition of the factors producing inequality, and always supported by facts. Sowell does not shy away from highlighting cultural differences which may be thought of as provocative or controversial - for example the different levels of honesty within different populations - but his purpose in doing so is always to explain how these differences influence economic outcomes (rather than making moral judgements).

A thoroughly recommended book. Some of it will surprise you, some of it will shock you, and some of it will grate against your own preconceptions, but mostly it will expand your understanding of a complex subject.

One person found this helpful

Rahul Kumar

Outstanding - thought provoking and contrarian.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

An absolutely amazing book that is thoroughly researched, from a historical and economic perspective. The book's initial paragraphs which delve deeper into the root causes of economic disparities worldwide are incredibly enlightening and help to quash many myths about some societies being always more prosperous than others throughout history. The chapter about political reasons for certain economic features, especially the portion on the welfare state is remarkably researched and argued; Sowell's contrarian conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the welfare state and his beliefs on why it it has failed for the advancement of demographics such as blacks in the US and working class whites in the UK is truly thought provoking and a line of argument far from the mainstream.

Overall, this book is a must read for those anywhere on the political/economic spectrum with arguments that are well argued with a highly thorough evidence on a global scale. It quashes many myths about wealth and poverty and is a continuation of Sowell's outstanding work in the field of economics, politics and social issues.

3 people found this helpful

Jack Christopher Brett

Dr Sowell's book provides a comprehensive overview of the historical ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

Dr Sowell's book provides a comprehensive overview of the historical sources of prosperity of disparate peoples. These are rigorously presented to show that the economic outcomes of these peoples are the result of a confluence of myriad factors which interact in such a way as to preclude any hope that these outcomes would be equal. Thus, inequality between peoples is the rule, not the exception, governing the economic landscape of the world. Suspicion of inequality usually arises out of ignorance of the productivity of different groups and thus avoids consideration of the critical role human capital plays in the economic advancement of peoples. -- Jack, 20, law student in UK.

8 people found this helpful

Gergely Károlyi

Thoroughly researched, brilliantly argued

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book is incredible. While Sowell's dry, laconic style takes a lot of getting used to (and the first too-many pages on geography don't help with this), every single page will feature an argument, angle or fact you may not have considered or even known about before. Whilst the book is certainly controversial both in its main thrust and its individual arguments, I think any serious reader will be made to think, consider and reconsider.
Exhaustively researched and very well argued, this book presents a very wide range of ideas and assimilates them into a single, very coherent whole.
Physically, this book is very well presented - the setting and binding look and feel high quality, and the green cover (although personally I find it a little ugly) is very useful as a page- and reference marker.
Whilst Sowell certainly is not a liberal author, and this book accordingly does not fit the received wisdom of the last few decades of Western academia and media, I personally would recommend this as a very thought-inducing read for anyone, regardless of political or economic views.

5 people found this helpful

Glenn

Sowell is amazing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

In depth look at issues that are hotly debated today with a view from angles that few research or present today. Importance of coastlines, weather and waterways in countries hoping to develop in the modern world but struggle for reasons beyond anyone's control. I only wish I'd discovered Sowell earlier in life.

See all reviews