Evan Osnos' 'The Haves and Have-Yachts' is a book of essays about the new Gilded Age

US billionaires’ wealth has been soaring, and they’re exerting unprecedented influence in politics and government. However, with their expanding wealth and visibility, billionaires are coming under more scrutiny. This article explores their mixed impact on the US economy and society.

Most Americans see billionaires as neither good nor bad for the country, according to a survey. However, the number of people who have a negative view of the ultra wealthy is growing. While some argue that billionaires are good for the economy because they invest in businesses, create jobs, and support charitable causes, others contend that billionaires unfairly influence policy-making and create harm in their pursuit of profit.

In The Millionaire Next Door, authors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko skewer the myths about how (and where) most millionaires live, and what it takes to become one. Their extensive research published in 1996 identified the sometimes surprising characteristics and habits shared by many millionaires. For instance, millionaires are often bargain shoppers (they buy used cars and off-the-rack clothing), pay only a small percentage of their wealth in income taxes, and shun the lavish lifestyles we often associate with being rich.

The book explains how to determine what your net worth should be, according to your age and income, and how you can build wealth over time and become a millionaire—if you have the discipline.

In The Millionaire Next Door, authors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko skewer the myths about how (and where) most millionaires live, and what it takes to become one. Their extensive research published in 1996 identified the sometimes surprising characteristics and habits shared by many millionaires. For instance, millionaires are often bargain shoppers (they buy used cars and off-the-rack clothing), pay only a small percentage of their wealth in income taxes, and shun the lavish lifestyles we often associate with being rich.

The book explains how to determine what your net worth should be, according to your age and income, and how you can build wealth over time and become a millionaire—if you have the discipline.

If you’ve ever noticed that history seems to repeat itself over the course of centuries, you may be wondering what causes that pattern—and how it may play out in the future. In The Fourth Turning, historian William Strauss and consultant Neil Howe explain how Anglo-American history follows a pattern of four 15 to 25-year periods, called Turnings, and how the behaviors of different generations define these Turnings.

In our guide, we’ll explore the authors’ theories on the Four Turnings, as well as the generational archetypes and their respective roles in the Turnings. We’ll also discuss the authors’ descriptions of the past three Turnings and their predictions for the Fourth. Finally, we’ll examine the authors’ theories in the context of history and modern society, as well as how their predictions about the Fourth Turning have played out in the years since the book’s publication in 1997.

What are the greatest threats to democracy today? How do healthy democratic states descend into illiberalism and authoritarian rule—and how can defenders and proponents of democracy prevent this from happening?

In Shortform’s Master Guide to Threats to Democracy, we’ve synthesized the ideas and recommendations of some of the world’s leading political scientists from across the ideological spectrum to bring insight to this important—and timely—question. We’ll explore forces like polarization, the decline of democratic norms, and extreme wealth inequality that combine to weaken and undermine democratic institutions.

We’ll also examine some of the ways proponents of democracy can promote stronger and healthier democratic institutions through specific institutional reforms, new economic policies to combat inequality, and actions at the individual and grassroots levels to overcome the social divisions that corrode democracy.

What do the Iraq War, investment banks, and the American Red Cross have in common? According to intellectual provocateur Nassim Nicholas Taleb, they all lack “skin in the game”: something to lose if they don’t achieve their goals. We ignore this simple failsafe far too often, but, according to Taleb, it’s the single most important contributor to human progress.

Skin in the Game is the fifth book in former options trader Nassim Taleb’s acclaimed Incerto series, in which the controversial thinker explains how skin in the game has shaped the world as we know it and why humanity’s biggest problems are due to the fact that we don’t have enough of it.

In our guide, we’ll provide a more complete picture of Taleb’s unique philosophy using ideas from his other writings, and we’ll compare his complex and controversial beliefs to those of detractors such as Richard H. Thaler (Nudge) and Steven Pinker (The Better Angels of Our Nature).