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Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth Hardcover – January 16, 2024
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—Thomas Piketty, bestselling author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century
An original, bold, and convincing argument for a cap on wealth by the philosopher who coined the term "limitarianism."
How much money is too much? Is it ethical, and democratic, for an individual to amass a limitless amount of wealth, and then spend it however they choose? Many of us feel that the answer to that is no—but what can we do about it?
Ingrid Robeyns has long written and argued for the principle she calls "limitarianism"—or the need to limit extreme wealth. This idea is gaining momentum in the mainstream – with calls to "tax the rich" and slogans like "every billionaire is a policy failure"—but what does it mean in practice?
Robeyns explains the key reasons to support the case against extreme wealth:
- It keeps the poor poor and inequalities growing
- It’s often dirty money
- It undermines democracy
- It’s one of the leading causes of climate change
- Nobody actually deserves to be a millionaire
- There are better things to do with excess money
- The rich will benefit, too
This will be the first authoritative trade book to unpack the concept of a cap on wealth, where to draw the line, how to collect the excess and what to do with the money. In the process, Robeyns will ignite an urgent debate about wealth, one that calls into question the very forces we live by (capitalism and neoliberalism) and invites us to a radical reimagining of our world.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAstra House
- Publication dateJanuary 16, 2024
- Dimensions6.25 x 1.06 x 9.31 inches
- ISBN-101662601840
- ISBN-13978-1662601842
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
—Jia Tolentino, New Yorker
"Robeyns’s book is a timely addition to the conversation about extreme wealth—subverting assumptions in a way that may make it easier to accept the (far less dramatic) shifts that may finally be taking place."
—Christina Emba, The Atlantic
"[A] revolutionary volume . . . Limitarianism is a thoughtful blueprint for the world so many of us want to live in—one where capitalism is curbed and greed is limited."
—Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire
"[A] provocative consideration of extreme wealth accumulation."
—New Yorker
"Limitarianism is a thought-provoking read for all those interested in inequality."
—Lucas Chancel, Nature
"Limitarianism offers a genuine contribution to the conversation and ought to be read by egalitarians and their foes."
—Jonah Raskin, Zyzzyva
"The challenge is daunting, but rebalancing and regulating capitalism will be a necessity if we are going to deal with the many internal and external threats we are now facing. Thus Limitarianism is well-worth considering and debating."
—Ed Meek, The Arts Fuse
"This book will surely be a conversation starter, especially in today’s political climate and dramatic period of inflation. Those interested in politics, taxes, inheritance, monetary policy, and social justice will find this book intriguing."
—Jennifer Adams, Booklist
"[Limitarianism is a] withering critique of the ethical, moral, and fiscal harms of unlimited wealth concentration . . . [This] caustic but balanced attack offers an equitable economic compromise."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A powerful case for limitarianism – the idea that we should set a maximum on how much resources one individual can appropriate. A must-read!"
—Thomas Piketty, bestselling author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century
"Robeyns has written an essential book from a radical point of view. It is high time someone asked the question, "Is there such a thing as having too much money?" Along with its corollary question, 'So what are we going to do about it?' Robeyns tackles both with deep knowledge, experience and empathy."
—Abigail Disney, filmmaker, philanthropist, and activist
"Is it possible to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet? Definitely not in a world dominated by extreme wealth, as Ingrid Robeyns powerfully argues. This landmark book combines meticulous logic with compelling personal stories to draw everyone - from the super-rich to the super-riled - into one of the most critical public debates of our times. Read it."
—Kate Raworth, bestselling author of Doughnut Economics
"Limiting extreme wealth is an idea whose time has surely come and Ingrid Robeyns makes a powerful case for why this should be a priority for public and political debate. Limitarianism builds on what the epidemiology shows so clearly - inequality damages all of us and it needs to be tackled with the greatest urgency."
—Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Livel
"Robeyns proves that in a true democracy there are no rights without duties – no wealth without limits. Limitarianism offers a way to re-democratize wealth and thus re-socialize the richest 1%."
—Marlene Engelhorn, author of Geld and co-founder of taxmenow
"Many people accept that there is a threshold that no one should fall below. But few have thought that there is a threshold that no one should be free to soar above. In this wonderful book, Ingrid Robeyns presents a novel and nuanced set of arguments for just such an upper threshold. This is a model of how to bring rigorous analysis to bear on practical issues, and to do so in an engaging, humane and accessible way."
—Debra Satz, author of Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale
"Ingrid Robeyns raises what, historically, would be a tendentious question because in the Industrial Age a rising tide of wealth tended to lift yachts and dinghies alike. But in our Digital Age yachts proliferate while dinghies get swamped. Robeyns’ argument that top heavy wealth is sinking living standards for the many, spreading economic fear that authoritarians exploit is sound and her thoughtful ideas for reining in extreme wealth are provocative."
—David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Perfectly Legal, Free Lunch, and It's Even Worse Than You Think
"Effortlessly navigating between ethics, political theory, economics and public policy, Ingrid Robeyns’ nuanced and persuasive defence of limitarianism is also a much-needed manifesto for reimagining political institutions."
—Lea Ypi, author of Free: Coming of Age at the End of History
"Robeyns delivers an urgent, thought provoking treatise that is both a compelling critique of limitless inequality and an imaginative account of a world without the superrich."
—Peter Geoghegan, author of Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics
"The best case I've read for putting an upper limit on the accumulation of wealth. Even the super-rich might be glad if there was a finishing line!"
—Richard Wilkinson, bestselling author of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level (with Kate Pickett)
"There is a limit beyond which additional wealth can’t do much to enhance its owner’s life or happiness. But our economic system generates fortunes far beyond any such limit. Is the existence of billionaires and multi-millionaires a necessary feature of a system that makes everyone better off in the long run? Or is it one of the sources of the growing inequality and political breakdown that we see today? Ingrid Robyens makes a convincing case that an upper limit on wealth would be good for society as a whole and even for the wealthy themselves."
—John Quiggin, author of Zombie Economics
"Ingrid Robeyns makes a compelling case for limiting extreme wealth, along economic, political and moral lines—and outlines the structural, fiscal and ethical actions required to achieve this. This argument has never been more important, and this book is a persuasive call to action."
—Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Astra House (January 16, 2024)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1662601840
- ISBN-13 : 978-1662601842
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1.06 x 9.31 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #65,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #35 in Free Enterprise & Capitalism
- #38 in Economic Policy
- #43 in Economic Policy & Development (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2024What could possibly go wrong with so many billionaires!? Especially so many who want to use their money to control society and to get even richer. Why isn't a billion dollars enough? For that matter.... why isn't a million dollars enough?
Live well on a million. But you can overrun countries with your own personal billion. What can the rest of us do to protect ourselves?
Read this great book!
BT
- Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2024A relevant read for today. Robeyns gives a compelling and humane argument for limiting individual wealth in our society. A great book for motivating one to take action; both politically and personally.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024Most of what is in the book is common knowledge. The idea of limits on earnings will not happen anytime soon. The idea appeals to some but not to the majority of people.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024Some of the problems that confront us are more fundamental than others - and some are close to being the most fundamental problems of all. This book addresses one of these fundamental problems: gross misallocation of wealth. Robeyns could hardly do a better job of making the case for wealth limits.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024Well argued and well worth reading. The author presents many reasonable approaches to address extreme inequality.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024As a former libertarian I wish I had this book way back when I was forming my beliefs about the world. She does an extraordinary job laying out the arguments and handling every objection one might come up with - without vitriol or emotion. She's thoughtful, careful, and clear. Everyone needs to read this book - a revolution is needed before this oligarchy gets worse.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024Robeyns puts forth multiple valid arguments for limiting extreme generational wealth, but after reading the book I don't think it is something that will ever come to fruition. It's just too subjective. I agree that it's a waste for 1% of the population to have so much money, power and control; however, getting them to turn loose of it based on morality just won't happen. As a policy and using a cap on wealth, well no country would be able to get the law passed due to wealthy influence on political moves.
The book was easily readable and presented some good ideas which I think will raise awareness of the issues. I did find it quite repetitive though.
Thanks to Astra Publishing House through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication January 16, 2024.
Top reviews from other countries
- Hermann DillenbergReviewed in Canada on April 10, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Hot off the press....
Product is great! Delivery was delayed by a day; had hoped to get it in time for a birthday present. No problem as I suspect it was caught up in Easter holiday. Keep up the super work. THD
- Andy VReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
All you ever wanted to know about wealth inequality, why it occurs, and what can be done about it.
- ThomasReviewed in Japan on July 5, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great concept and well thought through.
I’ve only read the first three chapters, but I’ve done that twice. This is really a fantastic book and I’ve already recommended it to my students. I could review each chapter, but you can see other people’s comments. No, I’m a total believer in the logic of limited on extreme wealth, and we should continue with reasonable wage improvements. Surveys are very sensitive to the order and construction of the questions. This would make a great question of the presidential debates.
- wabakimi manReviewed in Canada on April 16, 2024
3.0 out of 5 stars Good idea!
Bad title. Should be "No more billionaires" . wants to limit extreme wealth but without a clear, simple or great idea on how to do so. Academic. Wordy. a bit stuffy. Valid goals, but ....
- PaulReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars very good
very curious and got you thinking seriously and questioning