capital in the twenty-first century by thomas piketty

i think this book should be read by everyone. yes it looks intimidating at first, but this book is very accessible to economists and non economists alike that i feel like listening to thomas piketty lecturing instead of reading a book about the mechanisms of inequality. 

i especially like how he explores the structures that made up inequality - starting from the definition of wealth, capital and income; who owns what and how much; the famous the rate of return on capital r > rate of growth g; the evolution of wealth, capital and income over time through the examination of tax data; the compression of wealth due to the two world wars which is not something that can be expected to occur naturally; the need for an inclusive tax regime on capital, income and inheritance (in this case,a  progressive global tax for the very rich - wealth more than 1 million dollars).

i feel like i need to read this book again despite going through all 500 plus pages of highly readable economics, intertwined with economic realities that coloured 19th century literature of honore de balzac and jane austen. these are not mere trivialities - but to show that we can never escape the structures of capitalism that if left unabated, only a select few will inherit all the wealth in this world while the masses suffer, and it won't be a pretty thing when a large segment of the oppressed revolts because they can't take it anymore.  

this world shouldn't be about making the rich comfortable while the rest of us toil for them. as piketty puts it, there is something obscene about too much wealth concentrated in the hands of the few.