What's luck got to do with it? : how smarter government can rescue the American dream / Edward D. Kleinbard.

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2021]

xvi, 304 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

"This book asks you to think a bit more deeply about bad luck. Like gravity, brute luck is a universal force that cannot by itself be turned off. We like to think that we control our destinies through the decisions we make, but in fact our careers and our happiness are shaped to a large extent by the consequences of luck, favorable or unfavorable, that are not only out of our control, but often are unobserved by us. Many successful people expend enormous energy denying this fact, but a franker acknowledgement of the importance of luck as a driver of people's outcomes leads to all sorts of salutary policy responses. In particular, the accidents of where, when and to whom you are born casts a long shadow over your ability to develop fully your native skills and interests in order to lead a productive and fulfilling life. None of us has the luxury of choosing our parents, but all of us are affected throughout our lifetimes by the circumstances of our birth more than we might like to admit"-- Provided by publisher.

Online version: Kleinbard, Edward D. What's luck got to do with it? New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2021]

English

May 03, 2021

Includes bibliographical references and index.