Wealth and Poverty in America: A Reader

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad primer
Review: I was curious about this book after I had accidentally stumbled upon the author's amusingly glossy website devoted to himself, complete with shots of his mug. Academics are increasingly seeking to promote their books via this type of personally-directed hype, and while I doubt this is the surest way for the best scholarship to make itself known in the "market place of ideas", there's not much one can do about it.
The book itself has many interesting if not particularly original claims to make about how wealth is created and maintained by individuals and families, and how, or why, institutions seem to help some people preserve and expand wealth, rather than other people. Overall, recommended.