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Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

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Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Nobel laureate Angus Deaton investigates the drastic rise in deaths from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism among America's working class. The authors link this crisis to the failings of contemporary capitalism, showing how economic and social shifts have made life more precarious for those without a college degree. The book critically examines how factors like the declining power of labour, corporate dominance, and an exploitative healthcare system have deepened inequalities, causing profound harm to the American dream. Offering insightful analysis, the authors also propose ways to reform capitalism to serve all citizens better.
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Format: Hardback
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Ideal for readers interested in economics, social justice, and contemporary political issues. This book suits students, academics, policymakers, and general readers seeking a deep understanding of the economic and social challenges affecting working-class America today.

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New York Times Bestseller

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

Sunday Times Best Business Books of 2020

New York Times Notable 100

Science News Favourite Books of 2020

Inside Higher Ed, Best Books of 2020

Longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award 2020

From economist Anne Case and Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton, a groundbreaking account of how the flaws in capitalism are fatal for America's working class

Life expectancy in the United States has recently fallen for three years in a row—a reversal not seen since 1918 or in any other wealthy nation in modern times. In the past two decades, deaths of despair from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism have risen dramatically, and now claim hundreds of thousands of American lives each year—and they're still rising.

Anne Case and Angus Deaton, known for first sounding the alarm about deaths of despair, explain the overwhelming surge in these deaths and shed light on the social and economic forces that are making life harder for the working class. They demonstrate why, for those who used to prosper in America, capitalism is no longer delivering.

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism paints a troubling portrait of the American dream in decline. For the white working class, today's America has become a land of broken families and few prospects. As the college educated become healthier and wealthier, adults without a degree are literally dying from pain and despair. In this critically important book, Case and Deaton tie the crisis to the weakening position of labour, the growing power of corporations, and, above all, to a rapacious healthcare sector that redistributes working class wages into the pockets of the wealthy.

Capitalism, which over two centuries lifted countless people out of poverty, is now destroying the lives of blue-collar America. This book charts a way forward, providing solutions that can rein in capitalism's excesses and make it work for everyone.

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This critically acclaimed book was a New York Times Bestseller and named one of The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2020. It was shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year and received numerous other accolades, including the William G. Bowen Book Award. Reviewers describe it as an excellent book of vital importance, praised by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times and Martin Wolf of the Financial Times.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691190785

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 17 March 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 26 b/w illus. 2 maps.

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 312

About the Author

Anne Case is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs Emeritus at Princeton University. Angus Deaton, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in economics, is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at Princeton University and Presidential Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California. His books include The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality (Princeton).

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  • Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
    Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism is a New York Times Bestseller, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller, and a New York Times Notable Book of 2020. It was also a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and was shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year. Additionally, it is recognised as a New...
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