If you want to understand why the fate of the working class and the middle class is deteriorating in the US and in France, whatever the political party in power; if you want to know what manipulations by the 1% richest people in the world still account for more money at the expense of the remaining 99%, if you want to understand the origins of the financial crisis that undermines america and Europe is this very didactic book that must be read. I note that Stiglitz is a North American.