The Zero-Sum Society - Lester C. Thurow

Title: The Zero-Sum Society: Distribution and the Possibilities for Economic Change
Author: Lester C. Thurow
Publisher: Basic Books, New York, 1980
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Edition: First edition, first printing
ISBN: 0-465-09384-1
Condition: Very Good. The dust jacket shows age toning, light shelf wear and minor edge wear, with the book itself remaining clean and solid. Please see photos for the exact copy available.

Written amid the economic stagnation of the late 1970s, The Zero-Sum Society examines why major economic problems can remain politically unsolved even when workable solutions exist. Thurow argues that reforms often fail because their costs are concentrated on particular groups, while the benefits are spread more broadly across society.

The book considers inflation, energy, slow economic growth, environmental policy, income distribution and government regulation, combining economic analysis with a wider argument about political decision-making and the distribution of gains and losses.

About the Author: Lester C. Thurow was an American economist and long-time professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He wrote extensively on economic policy, inequality, globalisation and the relationship between economics and political institutions.