“the most influential and talked-about book on society in the last decade“
‘A big idea, big enough to change political thinking’ – Guardian
‘A remarkable new book … the implications are profound’ – Will Hutton, Observer
‘The evidence is hard to dispute’ – Economist
One of the Top Ten Books of the Decade – New Statesman
One of the 100 most influential books of the century – Guardian
Winner of the 2010 Politcal Studies Association Book Prize
Winner of the Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize
More information
Click on the book image to go to the publisher’s webpage for more information and purchase options.
Request a talk
Click on the photo to go to the contact page to request a talk on The Spirit Level and the impact of inequality
Richard & Kate’s most recent book
The Inner Level (2018) shows the pathways from inequality to wellbeing. Click on the book image to to the publisher’s webpage for more information and purchase options
The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better was published in 2009. The book highlights the “pernicious effects that inequality has on societies: eroding trust, increasing anxiety and illness, (and) encouraging excessive consumption”. It shows that for each of eleven different health and social problems: physical health, mental health, drug abuse, education, imprisonment, obesity, social mobility, trust and community life, violence, teenage pregnancies, and child well-being, outcomes are significantly worse in more unequal rich countries.
The Equality Trust