The Divide a Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions is the most depressing non-fiction book I've ever read

Submitted by Silent-Thund3r t3_yfwb10 in books

I'm a student at a British University where this book was on an optional reading list for one of my modules. I read it during the summer and it really opened my eyes as to how unjust the global economic system is to nations in the global south.

The 'good news' narrative is questioned and he states that the International poverty line is too low and artificially inflates the number of people who aren't in absolute poverty. The book goes on to explain that poor countries are poor due to exploitation and unfair international rules of trade imposed by rich countries; external reasons cause poor countries to stay poor.

I finished the book within 3 days yet there was dichotomy: I couldn't put the book down as it was so fascinating yet I wanted to put it down as it was so depressing.

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windy24 t1_iu5q2d5 wrote

I’d also recommend Jason Hickel’s other book Less is More about the climate crisis. Both are amazing

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boxer_dogs_dance t1_iu62q2k wrote

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had similar feelings reading two pieces of American literature, the Jungle and Death of a Salesman. For nonfiction, King Leopold's Ghost and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

Economics is complicated and no one knows exactly how it works, but injustice and oppression are definitely part of it.

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leftai2000 t1_iu7ldqj wrote

I've been reading The Destructionists by Dana Milbank and feel much the same way. I can only read a chapter at a time, and then put it up for a week or two until I quit being depressed and angry about what I'm reading.

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renlydidnothingwrong t1_iu5r430 wrote

If you found that interesting you should also read, "Imperialism: the Highest form of Capitalism," by Vladimir Lenin.

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helvetiq t1_iuajr4l wrote

It's a short book but it was very influential at the time in how people conceptualised the economic aspect of imperialism. Hobson's Imperialism is also worth a read - and he draws on Lenin's data and analysis even though his political views were very different.

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SoonToBeA t1_iu6lfqz wrote

For a hopeful book, I enjoyed "The Price of Tomorrow" (Jeff BOOTH).

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bhbhbhhh t1_iu5nlii wrote

Remember that economics is a heavily disputed field and a book on the world economy should not be trusted in a way that one on long-established physics and chemistry knowledge can be.

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