Announcing the Capitalism’s Winter Reading Group

Did you mean to read that Piketty book but OMG it looks long and hard? Did you want to read it again? Or just want to show off that you’re reading a really long economics book? Whatever your reason, let’s read it together!

We’ll be reading Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century over February and March, as the Capitalism’s Winter Reading Group. If you think that sounds a little like 2009’s Infinite Summer, I’ll just remind you that great artist steal. (If you don’t know about Capital in the Twenty-First Century, follow a few of the links above. It’s pretty interesting.)

Here’s how it’ll work: Next week, the second week of February, is going to be just the introduction and Chapter one, to give people time to get the book, audiobook, library copy, pirated edition, or whatever, and join in.

I’ll post an open thread for each chapter during the week for us to discuss the book as we go along. I’m estimating 3-4 hours a week of reading time — not impossible, but a commitment. At that rate, we should have this 700 page behemoth done in eight weeks. That will get us finished just in time for spring, and to have new ideas after assimilating Piketty’s voluminous research. If that seems a little fast, just go slower! If you’re late, join in! The discussion spaces will stay open for a while.

This will be fun! OK, kind of geeky, but fun!

10 thoughts on “Announcing the Capitalism’s Winter Reading Group”

  2. dr

    I can only assume that there will be a separate poseur section of the comments for those reading it in the original French?

    I’ll sleep on it. This sounds like lots of fun but I am thinking of what I could read instead…

  3. Chris Brennan

    Like I said on Twitter, I’m in. I started Piketty’s Inequality but didn’t get far. Why not jump back into it with a significantly longer book‽

    Cheers,
    Chris
    @revFenian

  6. techstep

    Count me in, at least provisionally — I want to read it, but family issues may wind up getting in the way of things. (And with luck, it should be less distressing than my stint in econ grad school. :))

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