To the question "Are the rich getting richer?" Hacker notes that in 1979, 13,505 individuals or families earned the equivalent of $1 million per year. Only fifteen years later, that number had jumped to an incredible 68,064. The last few decades have indeed witnessed the rise of the "$1 Million a Year" American. The rich are getting richer, and more people are joining their ranks, but the lower income echelon is not dwindling.

One in five children currently live in households where the annual income is below $15,000.

Hacker uses his mastery with statistics and authoritative analysis to show how a changing economy is affecting our lives and how, in turn, our decisions are changing the shape of the economy. And he looks ahead, confronting our greatest uncertainties about our futures and the futures of our children. Shattering all the taboos we have on the subjects of wealth, poverty, worth, and greed, Money is essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about their slice of the American pie.