Thomas Piketty—whose Capital in the Twenty-First Century pushed inequality to the forefront of public debate—wrote The Economics of Inequality as an introduction to the conceptual and factual background necessary for interpreting changes in economic inequality over time. This concise text has established itself as an indispensable guide for students and general readers in France, where it has been regularly updated and revised. Translated by Arthur Goldhammer, The Economics of Inequality now appears in English for the first time.

Piketty begins by explaining how inequality evolves and how economists measure it. In subsequent chapters, he explores variances in income and ownership of capital and the variety of policies used to reduce these gaps. Along the way, with characteristic clarity and precision, he introduces key ideas about the relationship between labor and capital, the effects of different systems of taxation, the distinction between “historical” and “political” time, the impact of education and technological change, the nature of capital markets, the role of unions, and apparent tensions between the pursuit of efficiency and the pursuit of fairness.

Succinct, accessible, and authoritative, this is the ideal place to start for those who want to understand the fundamental issues at the heart of one the most pressing concerns in contemporary economics and politics.

托馬斯•皮凱蒂（Thomas Piketty）

法國著名經濟學傢，巴黎經濟學院教授，法國社會科學高等研究院研究主任，主要研究財富與收入不平等。

1971年生於法國上塞納省，18歲進入巴黎高等師範學院，學習數學和經濟學。22歲以一篇關於財富重新分配的論文，獲得博士學位。

1993—1995年，在麻省理工學院經濟學院任副教授。

1995年，加入法國國傢科學研究中心，擔任研究員。

2000年，在法國社會科學高等研究院擔任研究主任。

2002年，榮獲法國最佳青年經濟學傢。

2006年，聯閤創立瞭巴黎經濟學院，並擔任第一任院長。後在法國總統競選中，擔任社會黨候選人塞格琳•羅雅爾（Ségolène Royal）的經濟學顧問。

2007年至今，在巴黎經濟學院執教。

2013年，榮獲兩年一次的Yrj• Jahnsson奬，該奬項頒發給45歲以下、對經濟學研究做齣突齣貢獻的歐洲經濟學傢。