Why do we mistrust people more in the UK than in Japan? Why do Americans have higher rates of teenage pregnancy than the French? What makes the Swedish thinner than the Greeks? The answer: inequality. This groundbreaking book, based on years of research, provides hard evidence to show: - How almost everything – from life expectancy to depression levels, violence to illiteracy – is affected not by how wealthy a society is, but how equal it is - That societies with a bigger gap between rich and poor are bad for everyone in them – including the well-off - How we can find positive solutions and move towards a happier, fairer future Urgent, provocative and genuinely uplifting, The Spirit Level has been heralded as providing a new way of thinking about ourselves and our communities, and could change the way you see the world.
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Review
'This is a book with a big idea, big enough to change political thinking' -- John Carey, Sunday Times
'what might be the most important book of the year' -- John Grace, Guardian --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'what might be the most important book of the year' -- John Grace, Guardian --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'This is a book with a big idea, big enough to change political thinking'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The book is an important contribution in urging politicians to see social problems as having social solutions
10 Dec 2011
By Mark Pack
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Although first published under a Labour government in 2009, this book is still highly relevant now we have a Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition. In fact, it is even more relevant because the current political and economic circumstances are forcing politicians to think carefully about how much we are worried about inequality of outcome. Wilkinson and Pickett argue that widespread inequality helps increase a huge range of social ills, with the result that everyone suffers - even the most well off. Inequality in their view isn't just bad for the poor, it's also bad for the rich.
Analysing data primarily from 21 developed countries and also the different American states, they present evidence of a correlation between the level of inequality in each country (or state) and a range of outcomes: levels of trust, mental illness, life expectancy, infant mortality, obesity, children's educational performance, number of teenage births, murders, imprisonment rates and social mobility. More inequality goes with lower trust, more mental illness, higher murder rates and so on.
Within a particular society being richer may go with the problem being smaller for yourself, but across the society as a whole it is the level of inequality that, they say, determines the overall levels of the problem.
The authors therefore argue that rather than securing further economic growth, inequality is now the big challenge facing developed societies: "When the wolf was never far from the door, good times were times of plenty. But for the vast majority of people in affluent countries the difficulties of life are no longer about filling our stomachs, having clear water and keeping warm. Most of us now wish we could eat less rather than more.... Read more ›
Analysing data primarily from 21 developed countries and also the different American states, they present evidence of a correlation between the level of inequality in each country (or state) and a range of outcomes: levels of trust, mental illness, life expectancy, infant mortality, obesity, children's educational performance, number of teenage births, murders, imprisonment rates and social mobility. More inequality goes with lower trust, more mental illness, higher murder rates and so on.
Within a particular society being richer may go with the problem being smaller for yourself, but across the society as a whole it is the level of inequality that, they say, determines the overall levels of the problem.
The authors therefore argue that rather than securing further economic growth, inequality is now the big challenge facing developed societies: "When the wolf was never far from the door, good times were times of plenty. But for the vast majority of people in affluent countries the difficulties of life are no longer about filling our stomachs, having clear water and keeping warm. Most of us now wish we could eat less rather than more.... Read more ›
167 of 191 people found the following review helpful
By Jazzrook
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett have written a remarkable, meticulously researched book which argues convincingly that inequality is the root cause of many of society's ills. A mass of evidence is marshalled to demonstrate that levels of violent crime, mental illness, drug addiction, illiteracy, obesity etc. are almost always higher in more unequal societies and that even the affluent are adversely affected by inequality.
The UK is near the top of the income gap league with twice as much inequality as Scandinavia & Japan and consequently experiences more social problems. Chosen as a 'Top 10 Book' of the decade by New Statesman magazine, 'The Spirit Level' is an important, thought-provoking book and should be compulsory reading for ministers in the Con-Dem coalition government who profess concern about 'Broken Britain'. The recent riots in England(August 2011) make this an even more essential read.
P.S. The updated paperback edition(November,2010) includes a new chapter giving the authors' well-argued response to strident political attacks on the book from the free-market right.
The UK is near the top of the income gap league with twice as much inequality as Scandinavia & Japan and consequently experiences more social problems. Chosen as a 'Top 10 Book' of the decade by New Statesman magazine, 'The Spirit Level' is an important, thought-provoking book and should be compulsory reading for ministers in the Con-Dem coalition government who profess concern about 'Broken Britain'. The recent riots in England(August 2011) make this an even more essential read.
P.S. The updated paperback edition(November,2010) includes a new chapter giving the authors' well-argued response to strident political attacks on the book from the free-market right.
62 of 72 people found the following review helpful
By MB
Format:Hardcover
This is a great book. The fact that many poor outcomes are linked with poverty is well known. What the authors point out is that there is strong evidence showing that the level of poverty is much less important than the level of inequality in a society. Inequality causes health and social problems to people at the bottom but also at the top of the spectrum. So inequality is a lose lose situation.
I've read many science books recently. This is the best book I've read in many respects. It is very well written, very well documented, it deals with possibly the most serious political issue of our time, it is never patronising to the reader, and finally I was impressed by its scope: evidence comes from epidemiology, psychology, economics, sociology and more.
We should really send a copy of this book to each and every politician in the country. In recent times politicians have become obsessed with wealth creation. But wealth is a means not an end, and they are missing the forest for the trees.
I've read many science books recently. This is the best book I've read in many respects. It is very well written, very well documented, it deals with possibly the most serious political issue of our time, it is never patronising to the reader, and finally I was impressed by its scope: evidence comes from epidemiology, psychology, economics, sociology and more.
We should really send a copy of this book to each and every politician in the country. In recent times politicians have become obsessed with wealth creation. But wealth is a means not an end, and they are missing the forest for the trees.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Didier
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
There's been no shortage of reviews in praise of this book, but still I felt compelled to add yet another, quite simply because this is not just a thoroughly researched, finely written, lucid and insightful book, but most of all because it is such a profound and important book. As the authors say, many of us must at times have felt intuitively that the path our Western society is currently set upon is ultimately a harmful one for all mankind and this unique planet we inhabit.
I'll readily grant that life has become ever so much better for most of us in the last decades, and I for one would not want to change places with my grandparents and do without the myriad of things that have been invented since. But - and that is what this book so undeniably proves - there is an end to the added value of ever more financial and material success. There's no denying the evidence presented in this book, and contrary to many other books on the subject, I feel that the authors also provide pragmatic, feasible alternatives.
Being a teacher in advertising and marketing, one could in fact argue that I'm not helping matters along by teaching other people how to advertise most effectively the next new fad. But I wasn't even halfway into 'The Spirit Level' when I decided that in next year's course this book will be obligatory reading for my students. Who knows, maybe one of them will feel compelled to use his advertising talents to promote the manifold benefits of a more equal society?
If it were in my power and not against my principles, I'd even make this obligatory reading for every single student, teacher, manager or politician.
I'll readily grant that life has become ever so much better for most of us in the last decades, and I for one would not want to change places with my grandparents and do without the myriad of things that have been invented since. But - and that is what this book so undeniably proves - there is an end to the added value of ever more financial and material success. There's no denying the evidence presented in this book, and contrary to many other books on the subject, I feel that the authors also provide pragmatic, feasible alternatives.
Being a teacher in advertising and marketing, one could in fact argue that I'm not helping matters along by teaching other people how to advertise most effectively the next new fad. But I wasn't even halfway into 'The Spirit Level' when I decided that in next year's course this book will be obligatory reading for my students. Who knows, maybe one of them will feel compelled to use his advertising talents to promote the manifold benefits of a more equal society?
If it were in my power and not against my principles, I'd even make this obligatory reading for every single student, teacher, manager or politician.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Spirit Level
I suspect that much of this is common sense really, people's health suffers when they feel under threat. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Mr. T. S. Browning
4.0 out of 5 stars
Depressing but truthful and honest
I'm reading this book at the moment and find it tells me things that I already know about such as the deindustrialisation of Britain leading to greater poverty and inequality and... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Lemsip
5.0 out of 5 stars
The manifest truth
This book should be compulsory reading in all secondary schools worldwide, but then again the ruling political and economical elites around the world wouldn't like this kind of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kim Pilgaard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone needs to read this book
This book gets to the bottom of so many of the problems faced by our societies today, I had heard of it a number of years ago and finally got around to ordering it, it is even... Read more
Published 1 month ago by fergus
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone should read this book
Hugely compelling and insightful - this is really required reading if you want to understand the impact of inequality even in the wealthiest states.
Published 2 months ago by Alison Kitson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thorough and eyeopening study
To any political thinkers or sociologists this is well worth a read. It is not quite groundbreaking in its ideas but it is certainly valiant and meticulous in its compilation of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lewis Baines
4.0 out of 5 stars
Convincing and Important
Most of the text is taken up by the data and examples the authors have amassed to show that inequality is the root of many social problems, and that ultimately extremes of wealth... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Guy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Arrived Quickly and in perfect condition...
A very interesting read, it certainly gets you thinking about issues within todays society... and the future!
A very interesting read, it certainly gets you thinking about issues within todays society... and the future!
Published 4 months ago by Catherine Eeles
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great mind changing
It is an essential book if you are interested in the sociology of health and human psychology , although is very clear and is apt for everyone with a free spirit and free thinking,... Read more
Published 4 months ago by diego sanchez
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dispatched quickly
Arrived promptly, no complaints. This is a good book for anybnody studying sociology. Clear and easy to read, and makes some insightful points.
Published 4 months ago by amy morgan
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