A review by mynameiskate
Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else, by Chrystia Freeland
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/