As gods among men : a history of the rich in the West
Alfani, Guido, 1976-2023
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Click and Collect for As gods among men : a history of the rich in the West""All human societies, from prehistory through to today, have been characterised by some degree of economic inequality. Arguably, complex societies would not have thrived if they had been unable to concentrate and redistribute resources effectively. We frequently talk about the top 5% or 1% today but, as Guido Alfani explains in this book, concerns about the rich and super-rich and their potential to influence contemporary politics and society are nothing new - just take the Medici family and Renaissance Tuscany as one example. The medieval theologian Nicole Oresme's fear of the super-rich individual acting "as God among men" resonates with much of what present-day economist Thomas Piketty cautioned against in his landmark Capital in the Twentieth Century. As Gods Among Men represents the first scholarly attempt to provide a general overview of role and significance of the rich and the super-rich in the long run of history. With a focus on the West, particularly Europe and North America, Alfani's research spans a thousand years of history. He draws from a wealth of comparative data, as well as insights gleaned from the latest research in economic history, sociology, and anthropology, to show how society's problematic relationship with the super-rich cannot be fully understood without a careful analysis of the ways in which they have built their enormous wealth, and how they have used that wealth to gain influence. Alfani highlights important aspects of their behaviour, such as their attitudes toward saving and consumption, or their propensity to act as patrons of the arts and of the sciences or as benefactors of the weakest part of society, to build up a profile of the richest members of our society and to trace patterns throughout history, underlining elements of both continuity and change over the period"-- Provided by publisher.
Main title:
As gods among men : a history of the rich in the West / Guido Alfani.
Author:
Alfani, Guido, 1976-, author
Imprint:
Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2023]©2023
Collation:
xii, 420 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-401) and index.
Contents:
What is wealth, and how much is needed to be rich?Wealth concentration and the prevalence of the rich across history : an overviewOn aristocracy, new and pastOn innovation and technologyOn financeThe curse of smaug : the saving and consumption habits of the richMaking it to the top : an overviewWhy wealth concentration can be a social problem : from Thomas Aquinas to PikettyPatrons, benefactors, donorsThe super-rich and politicsThe rich in times of crisis : from the black death to Covid-19.
ISBN:
9780691215730 (hbk)9780691215730
Dewey class:
305.5234094305.523
LC class:
HT635
Language:
English
BRN:
555838
More Information:
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumaris Library | Adult Non Fiction - Society and Beliefs | 305.523 ALF | Available |
Find it!
Total copies: 1
Available: 1
Click and Collect for As gods among men : a history of the rich in the West