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Geoffrey Sanzenbacher
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The Six Facts that Matter: Understanding Inequality in the United States Kindle Edition

by Geoffrey Sanzenbacher (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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Understanding economic inequality in the United States can be complicated. This book tries to make it simple. So, each chapter starts with one of six nice, simple facts: 1) middle-class wages are going nowhere; 2) the gender wage gap is stuck in neutral; 3) marriage is now for the rich; 4) the racial wage gap hasn’t budged since 1975; 5) incomes at the top are exploding; and 6) children with rich parents do better as adults. Then, it gets real.

In this book, you'll learn basic economics, like how wages are determined, and the changing roles of technology, education, caregiving, and discrimination. But, you'll also goes beyond the basics, into topics like the economics of marriage and crime. And, like a good class, the material snowballs. By the time you get to the chapter on racial inequality, you will be able to connect the dots from discrimination in labor markets to racial inequality in marriage. You will be thinking like an economist.

25 percent of the author's proceeds for this book will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts.
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  1. Print length
    210 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    September 2, 2022
  5. File size
    9577 KB
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BCZMN1SY
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 2, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 9577 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 210 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

About the author

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Geoffrey Sanzenbacher

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher

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Dr. Sanzenbacher is the author of over twenty peer-reviewed academic articles in the fields of Economics and Policy, including in The Journal of Health Economics, Demography, The International Economic Review, The North American Actuarial Journal, The Monthly Labor Review, and The Journal of Pension Economics and Finance. He has also published over forty Issues in Brief designed for a lay-audience through his work at The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. These briefs have covered topics related to the asset-accumulation of low-income workers, rising inequality in mortality, and the difficulties less-educated workers face in extending their careers. He has also contributed an Op-Ed to The Hill on racial wealth inequality, and has been cited in newspapers including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, financial magazines such as Kiplinger’s, and has appeared multiple times on National Public Radio.

Beyond his work in academia, Dr. Sanzenbacher has served as a consultant for states seeking to expand retirement savings vehicles to middle- and low-income adults. In particular, his work in Oregon and Illinois helped those states evaluate the financial feasibility of launching these programs, and their likely impact on middle- and lower-income adults. These programs have since launched, and serve to address one of the largest forms of inequality in the U.S. – that lower- and middle-income adults have very little savings, a topic covered in Chapter 6 of the proposed book.

Geoffrey Sanzenbacher and his wife Pamela currently reside in Boston, Massachusetts. Both grew up in Maryland, and attended St. Mary’s College in the southern part of the state. Dr. Sanzenbacher received his PhD from Boston College in Economics in 2010, and since 2014 has taught a course on the Economics of Inequality at BC. Indeed, it is teaching this course that inspired him to write this book. He has also taught the Principles of Microeconomics, Microeconomic Theory, and Econometrics, and is currently an Associate Professor of the Practice in the Boston College Department at Boston College.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
13 global ratings
6 Facts -- more like 6 stars!
5 Stars
6 Facts -- more like 6 stars!
I loved every page of this book. Explaining and presenting somewhat grim facts while maintaining a degree of optimism and light-heartedness is not an easy feat, but it is one that is mastered in this book. The six facts are presented in a digestible way and Geoff's voice (and by extension his sense of humor) so clearly and eloquently comes through, which makes this book extra special. Tone aside, this book is a perfect example of how economic theories can be applied to real-world problems. Understanding how, when, and why these applications can be made is especially valuable lesson for students that are studying economics in the present day, but also incredibly valuable for anyone that yearns for a world with a more equitable future. I commend Geoff for all of the work he put into writing, editing, and publishing this book, and hope to read and learn more from him in the future!
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Top reviews from the United States

Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars An Important, Relatable Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Professor Sanzenbacher has written an important book, that is also relatable. The fact is that the distribution of wealth is different than in the “good old days.” In his Six Facts that Matter, he is trying to communicate this to a broader group than simply academics and partisans. I felt like he was saying - we don’t have to agree on the causes, or the solutions, but we should be able to come together on the facts that we are dealing with. Professor Sanzenbacher’s book has an informality and sense of humor that makes it more readable than an academic’s typical book. Whatever your view, I recommend it - it makes you think.
3 people found this helpful
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MMN
5.0 out of 5 stars Understandable, relatable, nuanced
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
When I received this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would it be boring? Hard to understand? It turned out to be quite the opposite. I found this book to be very relatable. It's written in a cohesive, very understandable manner. The author sprinkles moments of humor throughout the text which lightens the heaviness of the facts. I greatly appreciate his point of view, that these issues are not always black or white, but nuanced. I find that most of life's issues exist in the gray. It certainly provides some food for thought. Overall, a good read!
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MMN
5.0 out of 5 stars Understandable, relatable, nuanced
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2022
When I received this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would it be boring? Hard to understand? It turned out to be quite the opposite. I found this book to be very relatable. It's written in a cohesive, very understandable manner. The author sprinkles moments of humor throughout the text which lightens the heaviness of the facts. I greatly appreciate his point of view, that these issues are not always black or white, but nuanced. I find that most of life's issues exist in the gray. It certainly provides some food for thought. Overall, a good read!
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3 people found this helpful
Helpful
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Grace Tymann
5.0 out of 5 stars 6 Facts -- more like 6 stars!
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
I loved every page of this book. Explaining and presenting somewhat grim facts while maintaining a degree of optimism and light-heartedness is not an easy feat, but it is one that is mastered in this book. The six facts are presented in a digestible way and Geoff's voice (and by extension his sense of humor) so clearly and eloquently comes through, which makes this book extra special. Tone aside, this book is a perfect example of how economic theories can be applied to real-world problems. Understanding how, when, and why these applications can be made is especially valuable lesson for students that are studying economics in the present day, but also incredibly valuable for anyone that yearns for a world with a more equitable future. I commend Geoff for all of the work he put into writing, editing, and publishing this book, and hope to read and learn more from him in the future!
Customer image
Grace Tymann
5.0 out of 5 stars 6 Facts -- more like 6 stars!
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2022
I loved every page of this book. Explaining and presenting somewhat grim facts while maintaining a degree of optimism and light-heartedness is not an easy feat, but it is one that is mastered in this book. The six facts are presented in a digestible way and Geoff's voice (and by extension his sense of humor) so clearly and eloquently comes through, which makes this book extra special. Tone aside, this book is a perfect example of how economic theories can be applied to real-world problems. Understanding how, when, and why these applications can be made is especially valuable lesson for students that are studying economics in the present day, but also incredibly valuable for anyone that yearns for a world with a more equitable future. I commend Geoff for all of the work he put into writing, editing, and publishing this book, and hope to read and learn more from him in the future!
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3 people found this helpful
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David W. Drake
4.0 out of 5 stars Great explanations with one major flaw
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2023
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I was prepared not to like this book but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Great explanations for inequality based on economics. The only major flaw—which brings my opinion down—is that he equates “Equality of Opportunity” with “Equality of Outcome” and limits the outcome that he would like to see as equal as the likelihood of going to college. While it may be natural for a college professor to think that is the highest and best outcome (I write as a former college professor), I would think the outcome is the likelihood of enjoying one’s life, perhaps as reflected in one’s income.. Second and more important, opportunity only puts one in the way to a good outcome. We humans are way too complex and life is way to complex to think that any two people given the same opportunities will achieve the same outcome. I was struck by the chart toward the end of the book (7-7) that showed that, while someone in the bottom income percentile had only a two percent chance of reaching the top income percentile, only thirty percent of those in the top percentile would end up there. I was also struck by how little homework high school students in every income category were doing!
5 people found this helpful
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slinky
5.0 out of 5 stars The value of a 3-credit college course for the cost of a paperback
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book was smart and thoughtful, providing data and resources throughout.

It was also an enjoyable read...the author has a quirky writing style and made me laugh out loud.

I was a BC economics undergrad...I used to pay a lot more to learn what I could've learned from books like this!
2 people found this helpful
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Tim Steinmetz
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2022
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This book was really interesting. It's easy to read, humorous, and important. I don't have a background in economics, but it was very easy to follow and relatable. It's also chock full of data instead of just unfounded claims. Highly recommend.
One person found this helpful
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David C. Fischer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to inequality
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2023
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I read this book over last Christmas Break looking for ideas to challenge students with. I really liked how Professor Sanzenbacher laid out the topics, making it readable for persons new to the subject.

In my Risk in Society class at the University of Missouri, we studied the pros and cons of capitalism one of the weeks. The challenges of income and wealth inequality are perhaps the leading criticisms of capitalism. For their Individual Writing Assignments, I challenged the students to dig deeper. This is one of the books I asked them to read and write a summary of. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Dave Fischer
Director, Risk Management and Insurance Program
Assistant Teaching Professor
University of Missouri, Trulaske College of Business
3 people found this helpful
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Jonathan Krieger
5.0 out of 5 stars Making important economic concepts accessible for lugs like me
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2022
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This is a really interesting book about economic inequality, covering a number of key concepts that don't get discussed enough (or at all) when we talk about what's happening in our country. In fact, it even changed some of my longheld beliefs about basic things. Not only are the concepts in here interesting, but it's a quick, easy read, and the writing is so clear (and friendly) that the concepts make sense even for someone like me, who has no economics background and was totally flummoxed the one other time I tried to read an economics book. 5 stars!
2 people found this helpful
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