About this title: Although middle-income families don't earn much more than they did several decades ago, they are buying bigger cars, houses, and appliances. To pay for them, they spend more than they earn and carry record levels of debt. In a book that explores the very meaning of happiness and prosperity in America today, Robert Frank explains how increased ...
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Description: FINE. Superb, crisp, clean, unread paperback with some light shelfwear to the covers and a remainder mark to one edge-VERY NICE! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 7-9-07
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: FINE. Superb, crisp, clean, unread paperback with some light shelfwear to the covers and a remainder mark to one edge-VERY NICE! 0.45 lbs. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: University of California Press, Berkeley, CA
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: Good. 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Highlighting to text; binding tight; minor wear to covers; store sticker on back cover. 148 pages. Illustrated. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Univ of California Pr
Date Published: 2007-07-02
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780520252523. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: GOOD. Crisp, clean, unread hardcover with light shelfwear to the baords and a publisher's mark to one edge, no dust jacket-NICE! ! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 7-9-07
ISBN-13:9780520251885ISBN:0520251881
Description: GOOD. Crisp, clean, unread hardcover with light shelfwear to the baords and a publisher's mark to one edge, no dust jacket-NICE! ! 0.65 lbs. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: UNIV OF CALIFORNIA PR
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780520902213ISBN:0520902211
Description: New. Although middle-income families don't earn much more than they did several decades ago, they are buying bigger cars, houses, and appliances. To pay for them, they spend more than they earn and carry record levels of debt. In a book that explores the... read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: University of California Press
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: Good. 0520252527 Good condition. May have some markings & or shelfwear. All pages intact. Used items may not include extras such as infotrac, CD or other web access codes. read more
Edition: 1st edition
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Univ of California Pr
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: New. Although middle-income families don't earn much more than they did several decades ago, they are buying bigger cars, houses, and appliances. To pay for them, they spend more than they earn and carry record levels of debt. In a book that explores the... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University Presses of California, Columbia and Pri
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780520252523ISBN:0520252527
Description: New. How Rising Inequality Harms the Middle C. Frank examines the growing income distribution gap and, as the title suggests, its effect on the middle class especially. read more
"A nice little summation of the problem of relative inequality. Some might be bothered by the fact that it is drawing upon some psychological concepts, but it is important that we recognize the role which our minds play in our economic decisions; we as humans tend not to be particularly rational (or, as the title says in the rather popular book, we are "predictably irrational"). Frank makes a very sensible case that relative inequality leads to a consumption "arms race," which takes resources away from the "goods" which are more important to the public well being (health care, family/leisure time, etc). Frank outlines some basic policy solutions to help reduce the relative wealth inequality, based primarily on the idea of a progressive consumption tax--an idea which had, for different reasons, been proposed during WWII by Milton Friedman, ironically enough.
Frank tries to keep the arguments short and basic so they are accessible to the common reader. Seems sensible, though I wish he expanded a little more on several points rather than directing readers to other books and articles."
"An interesting study of how the middle class can either put themselves at financial risk by trying to keep up appearances or maintain middle class life styles when prices go up, or be squeezed out of the consumer market by the bloating of prices caused by the rich trying to out-do each other. It was a little soft on providing anything more than a quick fly-by of these concepts. The main goal of the book seems to emerge near the end when the author begins his spin for tax reform (apparently the first 100 pages of the book were an attempt to set up the need for this). Not that I necessarily disagree with the need for some such reform, but when it appears here and is the most detailed part of the book it feels like the first 100 pages were just a hasty set up to get to the main course.
At one point the author suggests that a belief that the rich have "captured" Washington and are trying to use it to further advance their own interests with the tax breaks targeting the rich would require that the rich have a naive view of their own self-interest (because, the author argues, many of the supposed advantages they've set up for themselves have not gained them as much as they think). It seems reasonable, as the author has not anywhere previously pegged the ultra rich as being geniuses, that they could very well have a naive view of what they should be doing to promote their own interest and have made the blunders in their politics that he tries to argue they couldn't be making unless they were naive. To argue that something isn't happening because it wouldn't be the best way for it to happen is absurd (I'm reminded of the scene in Erik the Viking when the island is sinking because someone has spilled blood on the island, in defiance to the gods rules, and the island inhabitants, while the water rises around them, steadfastly argue that it isn't happening because something unacceptable would have had to occur for the island to sink). We see evidence every day that the rich can turn into idiots when the chance to get even more money presents itself (consider the investments with Madoff by people already loaded--evidence suggests now that even moderate investigating would have sent up red flags years ago--but none of these millionaires researched anything except what Madoff told them he could get them and they went all-in).
There are some really good aspects to this book--the "smart for one, dumb for all" concept is well stated. Some of his most powerful work could stem from bringing in facts like in the 1980s the average CEO made about 40 times as much as the average worker and now they make over 500 times as much (while income has stayed relatively stagnant, in terms of real purchasing power, for most everyone else), or that even after 9/11 more and more containers come into our ports uninspected due to cuts in staffing for port authorities while tax breaks centered on the excessively wealthy continue to be passed. Being able to point out where the balances have been heavily skewed by what goes on in Washington D.C. and how that has trickled down (unlike income which has never done that) helps to solidify some of the ideas the author is presenting."
"Excellent book. An economist goes into the problems of our current economic outlook on America's 'wealth' to wit while we are all doing better than in years past, the large income disparity between the very rich and middle class has a startling effect of raising the basic standards of living to a point where in order to maintain the things most people desire, the middle class has to pay disportionately more than in years past.
I'm not an economist and it's difficult for me to explain the whole thing but if you are interested in America's saving and spending habits, how we live, etc., I strongly recommend this short dry book for a fascinating read."
"A short, concise book; I found it helpful in terms of learning some of the terminology that economists employ (e.g. positional versus non positional). Highly accessible in general.
I thought it was interesting that he believed (and I think he is right if he is speaking of rapid adjustments) that the voluntary simplicity movement will only go so far (and generally addresses a specific economic class that has the "luxury" of simplicity---note that those are my words, not his); and disappointed (but not surprised) that he hadn't any insights into our general inability to comprehend and address the tragedy of the commons."
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