Chronicles

Thomas Piketty is Professor of Economics at the Paris School of Economics and Centennial Professor at the LSE. His book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which argued that when the rate of return on capital exceeds the rate of economic growth, the resulting unequal distribution of wealth causes instability, has global sales so far of more than 2m copies. Piketty fans will be fascinated . . . He explains economic concepts to the lay reader with the kind of clarity that comes from a deep understanding of the topicAmazing, inspiring, forward-thinking, and pragmatic. There is a pattern forming -- Marx, Keynes, Piketty. As our world changes the surest explanations and most practical solutions change in turnThe questions explored in these brilliant essays cut to the heart of our failing economic and democratic systems. If you have been influenced by Piketty's landmark work on inequality, make sure to read this next.Coming on the heels of his masterwork, Capital in the 21st Century, one might expect this to be the lesser contribution. In fact, Piketty unleashed on real-time economics is a revelation: he is lucid and persuasive - all the more so for being proved right about most of the events he is responding to, even though the full facts only came out later ... For an economist, Piketty draws on a vast and unusual store of honesty and emotional intelligenceWell-written and accessible. He ranges widely, to Brazil, Hong Kong, South Africa and Japan. His take, as you would expect, is solidly left-wing but he does not bludgeon. Is this a collection worth buying? For those who did not get enough of him in Capital... yesPiketty has transformed our economic discourse. We'll never talk about wealth and inequality the same way we used toThe perfect accoutrement for a Bernie Sanders rally. It's easier to carry through a crowd than the economist's 685-page best-seller of two years ago, Capital in the Twenty-First CenturyThomas Piketty depresses as much as inspires ... Beyond the pleasure of hearing his thoughts, there is a fascination in watching his instant response to eventsPiketty is back ... as with Capital, Piketty remains quietly optimistic'How one economist tried to make sense of a rapidly changing world .... accessible, direct, universally applicableEasy to follow for readers without much knowledge of economics, especially when [Piketty] picks apart topics that defy classical economic logic; in this he resembles Paul Krugman, who similarly writes clearly on complex topics ... Helps make sense of recent financial historyPiketty, the French Paul Krugman, has an extraordinary knack for translating the complexities of central bank finance, tax policy, regulation, and macroeconomics into lucid, down-to-earth language enriched by shrewd historical and cultural insights. This is a compelling challenge to economic orthodoxyThe most important work of political economy to be published in decadesThe author, an inequality expert, is distinguished. The work is acclaimed. The book's empirical detail is already the stuff of legendPiketty's treatment of inequality is perfectly matched to its moment ... [He] has emerged as a rock star of the policy-intellectual world ... His work richly deserves all the attention it is receivingThis small collection shows Piketty's mastery of a much wider repertoire of political and economic topics...Whether you agree with his views or not, you can't deny his ability to argue and persuade and dazzle his readers. It's a must-readMost enjoyable... Genuinely informative and filled with new ideasChronicles is essential reading on why it is important for regulation to stay ahead of markets, as exemplified by the 2008 crisis that still has wounds festering across the world economy

The return of the best-selling, award-winning economist extraordinaire

With the same powerful evidence, and range of reference, as his global bestseller Capital in the Twenty-First Century - and in columns of 700 words, rather than 700 pages - Chronicles sets out Thomas Piketty's analysis of the financial crisis, what has happened since and where we should go from here.

Tackling a wider range of subjects than in Capital, from productivity in Britain to Barack Obama, it comprises the very best of his writing for Liberation from the past ten years. Now, translated into English for the first time, it will further cement Piketty's reputation as the world's leading thinker today.