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Distribution of Lives

THE INCOME MALDISTRIBUTION PLAGUE 2012 (THE COMPLETE UNABRIDGED EDITION)

A convincing, data-driven argument for dividing the economic pie more fairly.

Crunching the numbers behind the income gap reveals effects more profound than previously thought.

For Jeanes, America’s economic ills today and during the Great Depression share a similar cause: lopsided distribution of income and wealth. In both cases, his far-ranging analysis of historical data shows that the bottom 60 percent of the population received about 25 percent of the national income—that’s below the worldwide historical median of 33 percent. A few percentage points may seem trivial, but Jeanes argues that maldistribution skewed toward the upper classes undermines capitalism. Consumption is hurt when money is removed from the lower classes since their propensity to consume is supposedly higher than that of the wealthy. Maldistribution also makes the economy more prone to booms and busts, while diminishing the efficacy of monetary policy as a corrective instrument. The heart of the book contrasts two worlds: one where the majority gets 25 percent of the income, the other, 33 percent. Jeanes theorizes that, besides being more economically vibrant, the world where the majority receives 33 percent of the income will produce better government and business leaders because intelligence—rather than income and other “not-IQ components”—will be the key factor of success. Despite his criticism of the status quo, Jeanes remains a free market advocate who rejects extreme redistribution. He suggests “adaptive taxation” as a means to prevent overtaxing the rich while ensuring that the elite are motivated to serve national interests, not just their own. Economists and other numerophiles will appreciate the author’s quest for more precise metrics on income distribution, and an accompanying website contains spreadsheets for readers to scrutinize the data themselves. Those with only a general interest, however, may find this unabridged edition a big bite to chew. Intriguing extensions on the thesis and sections on population growth and workweek length add to the book’s hefty girth, yet chapters stuffed with graphs and statistics include no executive summaries. Still, Jeanes deserves credit for putting a hot-button issue under a microscope in hopes of finding an equitable solution.

A convincing, data-driven argument for dividing the economic pie more fairly.

Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012

ISBN: 978-0985665623

Page Count: 242

Publisher: Dilives Publishing

Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2012

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JUPITER STORM

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

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A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.

Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0

Page Count: 212

Publisher: Plum Street Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018

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BROTHERS IN ARMS

BLUFORD HIGH SERIES #9

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.

In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004

ISBN: 978-1591940173

Page Count: 152

Publisher: Townsend Press

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013

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