of this book posits that America's persistent high inequality in pay and income is not an inevitable market outcome but a direct consequence of deliberate economic policies enacted over decades.** James K. Galbraith, drawing on the strong U.S. economy of the late 1990s as validation, argues against impersonal market forces like technology or trade as primary drivers of this disparity. Instead, he identifies specific policy choices and their resultant poor economic performance as the root cause. The book, updated with a new preface discussing improvements since 1994, suggests that economic understanding, sensible policy, and political engagement are pathways to rectifying this inequality and reclaiming the nation.

The book's central thesis, that economic inequality stems from policy rather than impersonal market forces, was notably validated by the strong U.S. economy of the late 1990s. Galbraith's work challenges conventional explanations for income disparity, positioning policy choices as the critical determinant. The inclusion of a preface discussing improvements since 1994 indicates an ongoing relevance and engagement with contemporary economic discourse. The book advocates for a path toward economic equity through informed understanding, practical policy, and collective political will.