Wealth

One of the main focuses of the book is the meaning of wealth as both a practical and symbolic entity, in part because Biss wishes to highlight the persistent problem of wealth disparity in the modern world. For example, Biss quotes economists Nelson Schwartz and Michael Corkery, who write, “In many cases publicly traded companies are concentrating wealth, not spreading it” (179). In other words, modern labor laws, economic policies, and corporate structures in America tend to funnel most wealth into the hands of a very small minority. A majority of the country’s wealth is held by less than one percent of the population. Biss does not necessarily provide direct solutions to this problem, as it is rather widespread and complicated, but she does encourage the reader to be more aware of it. If awareness and indignation spreads widely enough, there might be enough organized action to enact...