The Globalization of Inequality

"In this season of tomes on inequality, François Bourguignon's book stands out for its ability to combine global sweep with attention to minutiae, its passionate concern for the world's burgeoning inequality, and dispassionate analysis of the causes behind these growing disparities. An amazing amount can be learned from this slim volume on inequality within and across nations."--Kaushik Basu, chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank

"François Bourguignon once again demonstrates his position as one of the world's leading thinkers on inequality. In this book, he stresses that careful attention must be paid to the distinction between global and national inequality. Bourguignon sets forth policies for achieving both convergence of global standards of living and economic efficiency, and he warns that inequality profoundly threatens social stability. May the hopeful part of his message prevail."--Gary Fields, author of Working Hard, Working Poor: A Global Journey

"In this tour de force, François Bourguignon shows how the seemingly paradoxical phenomena of rising inequality within countries and falling inequality between countries are related to each other, and caused by globalization. Written in a style accessible to a general audience, this excellent work by a global leader in inequality analysis will have lasting value."--Ravi Kanbur, Cornell University

"This book deals with extremely topical issues related to inequality. Bourguignon is exceptionally well-qualified to provide an overview of recent trends, tease out the implications of the global-versus-national perspective on inequality, and seriously examine the factors at work as well as promising policy responses."--Brian Nolan, University of Oxford

"An excellent treatment of a very important subject from a leading researcher in the field."--Stephan Klasen, University of Göttingen

"This work makes a significant contribution to the general understanding of globalization's influence on inequality. While much is being said on the topic, this book is a rarity in being both accessible and informed."--Jean-Yves Duclos, Laval University