The Mismeasurement of America

“In The Mismeasurement of America, Gene Ludwig describes how conventional measures of economic performance don’t reveal the true state of the economy for many Americans. Ludwig critiques the measures we use and proposes new ways to capture central forces like inflation, which can be much higher for Americans who are struggling than the headline numbers suggest.”–ROBERT E. RUBIN, Cochair Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations, and former US Treasury Secretary

KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST INDIE BOOKS OF 2025

”[Ludwig] shows how outdated definitions have made it seem that economic mobility is available to all–but it isn’t. Highly recommended for all readers concerned about the health and vitality of the nation and its residents.”–LIBRARY JOURNAL

“A readable and impassioned plea to restore the American Dream.”–ISABEL SAWHILL Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Brookings Institution

“Grounded in thoughtful research, The Mismeasurement of America cuts through to the truth and shows us how to make economic opportunity and fair play real for all.”–GLENN HUBBARD, Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia University, and former Chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers

“In The Mismeasurement of America, Ludwig, deploying a forensic team of economic statistic experts, unflinchingly dissects our most commonly quoted statistics, like inflation and earnings, revealing them to be deficient in reflecting most Americans’ economic experiences.”–SARAH BLOOM RASKIN, former US Treasury Deputy Secretary

“In lucid, down-to-earth prose, Ludwig distills complex economic and statistical issues into easily digestible reasoning, illustrated with arresting examples of odd statistical assumptions that ignore kitchen-table realities… A hard-hitting indictment of the data underpinning federal economic policies.”–KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)

“In Gene Ludwig’s new book, he doesn’t blame the bureaucracy for politicizing economic data. He reveals the more banal but insidious truth: The conception, collection, and publication of much of our economic data is deeply flawed. Misleading data leads to misguided economic decision-making, undermining the residual trust between the elected and the electorate.” –KEVIN WARSH former Governor of the Federal Reserve

“Ludwig’s book provides an important bridge between good data and bad vibes. As he shows, in an economy where inequality has been on the rise for decades, where millions are underemployed, where poor people’s inflation rises faster than that of the rich, averages increasingly fail to tell the full economic story.”–WASHINGTON MONTHLY

“With his signature thoughtful, research-driven approach, Ludwig gets to the heart of the economic anxiety so many Americans experience and what policymakers across the political spectrum are missing. A must-read for those who care about a better future for America.”–DEVAL PATRICK, investor, business executive, lawyer and former Governor of Massachusetts

Gene Ludwig, 27th Comptroller of the Currency, is a business and civic leader and expert on banking, regulation, risk management, and fiscal policy. In 2019, he founded the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the economic well-being of low- and middle-income Americans through research and education.

His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,The Atlantic, Politico, the Financial Times, and TIME. He holds a master’s degree from Oxford University and a JD from Yale University, where he was on the Yale Law Journal and chairman of Yale Legislative Services. He is the author of The Vanishing American Dream and The Mismeasurement of America.