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Reviews
Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else by Chrystia Freeland
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book entirely eye-opening.
Lots of quotable points throughout this book.
Some very seedy practices were uncovered in this book.
I also found it very interesting about the fast/slow companies.
Having read lots of books on business practices such as [b:Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't|76865|Good to Great Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't|James C. Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546097703l/76865._SY75_.jpg|1094028], I appreciated the points Chrystia made about what it takes for businesses to pivot in recent years vs the old days.
I would highly recommend for white collar readers, as it will shed some light into what CEOs and investors are doing while everyone else goes about their normal workdays.
4.5/5
Lots of quotable points throughout this book.
Some very seedy practices were uncovered in this book.
I also found it very interesting about the fast/slow companies.
Having read lots of books on business practices such as [b:Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't|76865|Good to Great Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't|James C. Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546097703l/76865._SY75_.jpg|1094028], I appreciated the points Chrystia made about what it takes for businesses to pivot in recent years vs the old days.
I would highly recommend for white collar readers, as it will shed some light into what CEOs and investors are doing while everyone else goes about their normal workdays.
4.5/5
fourtriplezed's review
2.0
There is a good book in here somewhere. The first 3 chapters were very frustrating. Almost an exercise in name-dropping and naming the names dropped and what they ate. Maybe an exaggeration but at times I thought I was reading a series of newspaper items. The last three chapters picked up somewhat as it got a bit more meaty but in the end I am not sure the awards nor the positive reviews were earned. So very very light weight.
books_lover42's review against another edition
3.0
I read the book after my interest was peaked from watching Chrystia Freeland's TED Talk. There are a lot of other reviewers who wrote very detailed reviews. I am less inclined at the moment to write my own so instead, I will just say that this was an interesting but depressing read. It confirms what most already know -that gap between the "rich and "poor" is widening; that most of us will never, ever be part of the 1%; and those who are have an incredibly skewed world-view that results in an excessive attitude of self-entitlement.
mynameiskate's review against another edition
5.0
Exceptional book. Easy to read, engaging style.
A lot of information and things to think about presented through personal anecdotes. Freeland had amazing access to people, particularly Russian oligarchs. Her coverage of them, in particular, along with other "rent seekers" ("In economics, rent-seeking is an attempt to obtain economic rent by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth." ~Wikipedia) from countries making the shift from Communism to Capitalism was quite fascinating.
The chapters where we spy on the habits of the super-rich were of course fun and interesting in their own voyeuristic way.
Freeland is very even-handed in her writing and doesn't make anybody the villain. But she does discuss the implication of a global "super rich" class and what that may mean for the rest of us. And that there may be some positive in terms of philanthropy. But in any case she raises several issues that she herself does not offer any particular answer to. The bibliography is very good. I hope Freeland continues to write about this topic and the vast economic implications for all of us.
Just discovered this discussion guide for Plutocrats from Bill Moyers: http://billmoyers.com/2012/11/12/discussion-guide-for-plutocrats/
A lot of information and things to think about presented through personal anecdotes. Freeland had amazing access to people, particularly Russian oligarchs. Her coverage of them, in particular, along with other "rent seekers" ("In economics, rent-seeking is an attempt to obtain economic rent by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth." ~Wikipedia) from countries making the shift from Communism to Capitalism was quite fascinating.
The chapters where we spy on the habits of the super-rich were of course fun and interesting in their own voyeuristic way.
Freeland is very even-handed in her writing and doesn't make anybody the villain. But she does discuss the implication of a global "super rich" class and what that may mean for the rest of us. And that there may be some positive in terms of philanthropy. But in any case she raises several issues that she herself does not offer any particular answer to. The bibliography is very good. I hope Freeland continues to write about this topic and the vast economic implications for all of us.
Just discovered this discussion guide for Plutocrats from Bill Moyers: http://billmoyers.com/2012/11/12/discussion-guide-for-plutocrats/
clambook's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent and maddening survey of the very rich are getting even richer, which doesn't do much for their behavior. It's readable and reasonable -- not a tract.
manogirl's review against another edition
3.0
Good God this book was depressing. And kind of a slog too.
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