70 pages 2 hours read

Henry George

Progress and Poverty

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1879

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

In Progress and Poverty, Henry George examines the paradox of technological advancements and increased wealth resulting in diminished wages and growing poverty for workers. He identifies rising land rents and private land ownership as key causes of this socioeconomic inequality. George proposes a remedy of a single tax on land to address wealth disparities, advocating for more equitable distribution and improved public welfare through land reform.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Henry George's Progress and Poverty receives acclaim for its incisive analysis of economic disparity and its advocacy for land value tax as a remedy. Critics laud its clarity and relevance but note its sweeping generalizations and dated economic perspectives. Despite its age, the work remains a provocative and influential treatise in economic discourse.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Progress and Poverty?

A reader who would enjoy Progress and Poverty by Henry George is likely interested in economics, social justice, and land reform. Comparable to Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations and Karl Marx's Das Kapital, this reader enjoys in-depth analysis of socio-economic issues and historical economic thought.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Business / Economics

Philosophy

Politics / Government

Themes

Society: Economics

Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Genre

Philosophy

Classic Fiction