The Great Leveler
Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century
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The Great Leveler
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Narrated by:
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Joel Richards
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By:
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Walter Scheidel
About this listen
Are mass violence and catastrophes the only forces that can seriously decrease economic inequality? To judge by thousands of years of history, the answer is yes. Tracing the global history of inequality from the Stone Age to today, Walter Scheidel shows that inequality never dies peacefully. Inequality declines when carnage and disaster strike and increases when peace and stability return. The Great Leveler is the first book to chart the crucial role of violent shocks in reducing inequality over the full sweep of human history around the world.
Ever since humans began to farm, herd livestock, and pass on their assets to future generations, economic inequality has been a defining feature of civilization. Over thousands of years, only violent events have significantly lessened inequality. The "Four Horsemen" of leveling - mass-mobilization warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and catastrophic plagues - have repeatedly destroyed the fortunes of the rich.
Scheidel identifies and examines these processes, from the crises of the earliest civilizations to the cataclysmic world wars and communist revolutions of the 20th century. Today, the violence that reduced inequality in the past seems to have diminished, and that is a good thing. But it casts serious doubt on the prospects for a more equal future.
©2017 Princeton University Press (P)2017 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ras
- 28-11-17
Looked very promising but then disappointing
This book has some interesting contents scattered across the book. For instance, well-known major historical incidences, like wars, revolutions, government reforms, etc are occasionally narrated with interesting stories. However, the book is rather boring as it mainly involves enumeration of one statistics after another. Gini coefficient was mentioned perhaps thousand times! Although, the thesis of the book impressive (wars, certain types of viloence epidemics as temporary levellers of inequality), it is covered in a such dull way that as if it is a report for policy makers in a parliament. In that respect, I got really bored. That was a very promising book for me but in the end I looked forward to finish it and start another book!
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- MR R.
- 01-07-22
Good but suffers in audiobook form
This was good but the stats fail quite badly in audiobook form because of the amount of statistics that are quoted.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 19-10-21
Insightful but bleak
Really digs into the data on inequality with possible non-catastrophic remedies. Though the enactment of those remedies is seen as unlikely without major coordination that is usually precipitated by catastrophe (like the recent pandemic)
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Neil Green
- 26-12-19
Not dull
The author appears to have researched his topic well and materials the arguments well. However the final chapter looking to the future ignores the environmental and resource problems the world faces so is valueless.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Maciek
- 03-12-21
well worked out view on inequality
thoroughly enjoyed it.
I would highly recommend everyone who is seeking equality at all cost to read this book first , to get better perspective and understanding of inequality, what drives it as well as dangers of forcing utopian ideologies in name of social justice.
The book ends with "be careful what you wish for" , I would just add quote by spanish philosopher G.Santayana "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,”
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-04-21
Engaging but highly pessimistic
An interesting listen, although not one that sparks joy. Let down by surprisingly error-filled performance.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Yeh C.
- 18-01-19
Takes a grim view of inequality
Throughout history, inequality is only compacted by massive violent shocks, such as state collapse, epidemics, revolutions and mass mobilisation warfare, and the author gives the few examples throughout history where this happened. The author also looks at other factors that can compact inequality such as civil wars and policy decisions, and concludes these does not reduce inequality in the long run.
Overall the outlook on reducing inequality in our current age is pretty grim, as the four horsemen is the apocalypse are no longer applicable. An easy read for anyone interested
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3 people found this helpful