Is it possible to understand what causes inequality, why it is increasing, and how to reduce it... all in a single volume? It is! In this all-new fifth edition of Social Stratification, the burgeoning field of inequality is crystallized into 250 core pieces, each presented in readable, distilled form.

Because rising inequality is now understood as a core cause of ongoing social upheaval, it is no longer a dusty scholarly topic addressed by just a few disciplines. It has suddenly become an active, contentious, interdisciplinary field that simply can't be mastered without broad study in economics, sociology, psychology, data science, and many other fields. That's a tall order! This volume meets the challenge by selecting and distilling the contributions that have shaped the field and define our opportunities to take on rising inequality.

Who will benefit from this book? It is admittedly not for the faint of heart. It is instead built for those wanting to dig in and master the field, including graduate and undergraduate students, long-standing scholars who need to "brush up," and pretty much anyone who is committed to understanding why the world is falling apart and whether anything can be done about it.