Toxic Inequality

“In this lucid and compelling book, Thomas M. Shapiro convincingly argues why we can’t understand wealth and income inequality in America without also understanding racial inequality, and that any potential solution to the former must also remedy the nation’s widening racial divide. He shows how wealth and race compound historic injustices through their combined effects on housing, schools and colleges, employment, and politics. Everyone concerned about the toxic effects of inequality must read this book.”–Robert B. Reich, author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few “In this indispensable book, Thomas M. Shapiro connects the stories of individual American families to a powerful and readable analysis of data and policy, revealing the truth about escalating racial inequality in America: it is the result of institutional forces, not individual effort.”–Heather C. McGhee, President, Demos “Thomas M. Shapiro brilliantly analyzes the most important economic challenge of our time. With its razor-sharp insights and poignant personal stories, Toxic Inequality is a compelling, crucially important, and ultimately hopeful book.” –Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times “In Toxic Inequality, Thomas M. Shapiro shows that inequality harms everyone–that it squanders talents, misallocates resources, and suppresses initiative. Deftly blending facts and figures with moving personal stories, this book reveals how severe inequality is, why it matters, and what we can do about it.”–George Lipsitz, author of The Possessive Investment in Whiteness

Thomas M. Shapiro is the Pokross Professor of Law and Social Policy at the Heller School, Brandeis University, where he directs the Institute on Assets and Social Policy. The author of four books, including The Hidden Cost of Being African American and, with Melvin Oliver, Black Wealth/White Wealth, he lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

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