The Greatest Books of All Time on Public Policy

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
506 The Affluent Society John Kenneth Galbraith 1958 American English
1901 The Power Broker Robert Caro 1974 American English
2626 Capital in the Twenty-First Century Thomas Piketty 2013 French French
3524 The Good Society Walter Lippmann 1937 American English
4470 The Unheavenly City Edward C. Banfield 1970 American English
5606 Superhighway--superhoax Helen Leavitt 1970 American English
5705 The Sum Of Us Heather McGhee 2021 American English
8975 The Great Divide Joseph Stiglitz 2015 American English
10513 The Deficit Myth Stephanie Kelton 2020 American English
10871 Invisible Women Caroline Criado Perez​​ 2019 British English
11661 The Cost Of Good Intentions Charles R. Morris 1980 American English
12143 The History Manifesto Johanna Hanink 2014 American English
14519 Why Does College Cost So Much? Robert B. Archibald 2010 American English
14553 The City That Became Safe Franklin E. Zimring 2011 American English
14831 Plagues And The Paradox Of Progress Thomas J. Bollyky 2018 American English
14984 The Spirit Level Richard Wilkinson 2009 British English
17120 Parliament of Whores P. J. O'Rourke 1991 American English
17120 Street Level Bureaucracy (Publications Of Russell Sage Foundation) Michael Lipsky 1980 American English
17120 The Two‑Parent Privilege Melissa S. Kearney 2023 Unknown English
17120 This Is Wildfire Nick Mott, Justin Angle 2023 Unknown English
17120 The Ferguson Report Nicole Sealey 2023 Unknown English
17120 Carmageddon Daniel Knowles 2023 Unknown English
17120 Best Things First Bjørn Lomborg 2023 Danish English
17120 Milton Friedman Jennifer Burns 2023 Unknown English
17120 Johnson At 10 Anthony Seldon, Raymond Newell 2023 British English
17120 Another Day In The Death Of America Gary Younge 2016 British English
17120 Unequal Democracy Larry Bartels 2008 American English
17120 The Economics Of Innocent Fraud john kenneth galbraith 2004 American English
17120 The New Climate War Michael Mann 2021 American English
17120 The Big Fix Hal Harvey, Justin Gillis American English
17120 Addiction Humphreys, Keith American English
17120 Wie Politik Funktioniert Wolf Wagner German German