Inequality

The Great Leveler Summary of Key Points

Walter Scheidel’s ‘The Great Leveler’ examines the history of inequality across different civilizations and points in time. The book argues that throughout history, significant reductions in inequality have been the result of catastrophic events, which Scheidel labels as ‘the Four Horsemen’: mass-mobilization warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and plagues. He explores how these forces have periodically leveled the playing field, but at great human cost, and questions the possibility of reducing inequality through less violent means.

Just Mercy Summary of Key Points

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is a heart-wrenching yet inspiring tale of a young lawyer’s fight for justice in the U.S. legal system. The book focuses on one of his first cases, Walter McMillian, a black man sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit. It exposes shocking truths about inequality and injustice in the American criminal justice system.

Caste Summary of Key Points

Isabel Wilkerson’s ‘Caste’ is an eye-opening portrayal of American society, examining the unspoken caste system that has shaped the nation and affects every aspect of life. The book parallels the caste systems in America, India, and Nazi Germany, and analyzes how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.