暢銷書 Capital in the Twenty-First Century《21世紀資本論》作者，法國經濟學者Thomas Piketty，針對當前越來越明顯的財富集中、M型社會所衍發出勞資雙方不公平的問題，經由歷史和統計學來研究經濟的不平等，時間跨度從18世紀迄今約廿百年，分析廿個已開發國家的資料，發現貧富不均的問題必須由政府介入才能改變──他所提出的建議，獲得廣大討論，也使得這本書在排行榜上歷久不衰。

新書The Economics of Inequality繼續討論經濟的不平等，解釋不平等演變的歷史，以及經濟學家如何衡量不平等的影響，並對於政策造成資本所有權的增加與差距，勞資雙方觀點的歧異，稅賦的影響，乃至於教育和技術變革所產生經濟上的不平等，Thomas Piketty都有更深入的剖析。

簡潔的文字，條理的分析，以及大量運用圖表，用尋常百姓能了解的語言溝通，簡化複雜深澳的經濟學理論，是他的一大特點，也是艱澀的經濟學理論能一躍成為暢銷書的重要關鍵。

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 of the most pressing concerns in contemporary economics and politics.