When my local library acquired Thomas Piketty's Capital: in the Twenty-First Century I was the first one to sign it. That was about three weeks ago. Today, I'm only about 250 pages in, with hundred yet to read. Unfortunately, with the due-date in two days and holds lining up behind me, I won't have time to complete the book. So, I've placed an order on Amazon (it's very reasonably priced) and I shall finish Capital at my leisure.
For now, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on Capital so far. As far as content goes, there is nothing "life-altering" in the first two-hundred and fifty pages, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting.
Piketty examines short run and (when possible) long run trends in income distribution and the share of income which goes towards labour vs. capital (Piketty uses capital in a very broad sense). He also tackles and discounts a number of theories regarding the eventual, natural evening out of income distribution. Unfortunately for readers who are not strong in economics or mathematics, he does use some technical language from within these disciplines, as well as formulas involved in his own research. However, he makes an attempt to at accessibility for the less educated reader by using the writings of Jane Austen and Balzac as complementary supports.
I look forward to reading more of this book when my own copy arrives. I would definitely recommend it for any reader with an interest in the trends of Capitalism or income inequality and distribution.
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