Capital in the 21st Century

Water Cooler
#1

I’ve read no fewer than four articles about this book in the past 24 hours, all from different sources. Anybody know anything about it?

From what I can tell, it’s actually a well-thought-out, but less extreme version of Jesse Myerson’s “Five Economic Reforms”.

#2

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Capital-Twenty-First-Century-Thomas-Piketty/dp/067443000X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398088760&sr=8-1&keywords=thomas+piketty

NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/opinion/sunday/douthat-marx-rises-again.html?ref=rossdouthat&_r=0

Paul Krugman’s review:

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/may/08/thomas-piketty-new-gilded-age/

WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303825604579515452952131592

#3

So you telling me you have read at least 4 articles? Interesting…

#4

I would say that I “browsed” the articles. Especially the Krugman one.

#5

I bought this book over the weekend. So far I’ve read the introduction! It’s a big lump of a book, but hopefully I’ll be able to read through it over the next couple of weeks.

It has attracted more media attention than any economics book that I can remember so worth a look I think. For what it’s worth, the intro was well written and balanced so I have high hopes for the rest.

#6

This here Piketty feller looks like one of them there commies. That book looks like a straight translation of Das Kapital, amigo. Better steer clear.

Greenie, if you get spotted with a copy of this trash on your coffee table in Texas, you’re liable to be shot.

#7

Another article:

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/0421d04e-cb42-11e3-ba95-00144feabdc0.html#axzz30BNEiXZr

The dude is saying that the US is now like the Roman Empire, B.C.

#8

I know you are joking but in the introduction he gives a pretty clear outline of his own prejudices and is actually very critical of Marx (specifically Das Kapital) and communism generally.

#9

The point is that just because Marx was wrong on the solution to the problems of capitalism doesn’t mean that his criticisms of capitalism were wrong.