Holds Alert: Capital in the Twenty-First Century

We’re feeling French this morning.

Capital in the 21st CA story in the NYT political blog, “The Upshot” reports the French, unlike Americans, have paid little attention to a new book by Paris School of Economics professor Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, (Harvard/Belknap Press, 3/12/14), a nearly 700-page tome modeled on Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.

Esquire magazine’s blog declares you must read Piketty’s book, “If you want to understand the world, if you want to comprehend the mechanics of the forces shaping our time, if you want to know the political choices we face,” (if you’re not ready for that commitment, you can, however, get the shorthand version from The Guardian).  Paul Krugman adds his kudos to the chorus of praise in the May 8th issue of the New York Review of Books.

The book debuted on the 4/13 NYT Hardcover list at #16, dropped off for a week and is now back at #15. There even seems to be a halo effect; Adam Smith’s 1776 precursor is now at at #19 on the Nonfiction Extended list, 238 years after its original publication.

Holds on Capital are astounding in several libraries we checked and it appears it is currently out of stock at wholesalers.

Thanks to Liam Hagerty of Westcheter P.L. [NY] for the tip. If your library is experiencing unexpected holds on any titles, please email us.

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