Few books in recent years have stirred as much controversy and excitement as the release of Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century." Reviews have described the book as a "political and theoretical bulldozer." Fundamentally rethinking the foundations of macroeconomics, Pikketty explains the deep connection between income inequality and capital returns. His theories challenge existing economic thought in ways that have captured the attention of those interested in public policy, economic theory, and the history of capitalism.
Cornell's History of Capitalism Initiative hosted a roundtable discussion on the book May 13, 2014 with some of Cornell's top scholars in economics, history and law: Ed Baptist, Associate Professor of History; Robert Frank, Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management; Aziz Rana, Associate Professor of Law; and Jefferson Cowie, ILR Dean's Professor and Chair of Labor Relations, Law and History.