Mar 03, 2020 | ISBN 9780385543088
Mar 03, 2020 | 600 Minutes
“If you’ve wondered how today’s rich live—why they speed past us at ball games and amusement parks, how a select few never have to wait to see top doctors—you need to read The Velvet Rope Economy. You’ll never look at boarding a plane—or privilege and polarization—the same way.”
—Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit
“A masterpiece of beautifully written, carefully reported social commentary. Schwartz is able to take everyday things we already know—like the fact that the rich get to live a life entirely distinct from the rest of us—and shows, through colorful tales and great storytelling, that this is no curiosity. It is an indictment, a warning, a prediction, and a nuanced vision of our society. This book will become essential reading to understand this moment. But don’t let the grandness of his work scare you: it’s a fun, surprising read filled with unexpected peeks into the perquisites of superwealth.”
—Adam Davidson, co-founder of Planet Money and author of The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century
“Sometimes it takes real insight to understand what is staring you in the face. How often have you gritted your teeth as someone strolled past you to the front of the line? Or watched the curtain close to block your view of the passengers in first class? Schwartz decided not just to document all the ways our business culture has learned to cater to the rich at the expense of the rest of us, but to explain why it matters. It’s an eye-opening exploration of a trend with many consequences, none of them good.”
—Joe Nocera, columnist, Bloomberg Opinion, and author of A Piece of the Action: How the Middle Class Joined the Money Class
“Through vivid illustrations and systematic analysis, this brilliantly argued book demonstrates the corrosive impact of growing inequality on society. Almost everywhere one looks—amusement parks, stadiums, planes, college admissions, and health care—we are being segregated into castes. A must read.”
—Emmanuel Saez, Professor of Economics, University of California, Berkeley
“Nelson D. Schwartz’s book uses vivid and detailed reporting to advance an important, novel, and ultimately scary argument about the ways that inequality is changing our economy. Anyone interested in the topic of inequality should read this book.”
—Jason Furman, former Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
