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
2627 Capital in the Twenty-First Century Thomas Piketty 2013 French French
3523 The Good Society Walter Lippmann 1937 American English
4471 The Unheavenly City Edward C. Banfield 1970 American English
5608 Superhighway--superhoax Helen Leavitt 1970 American English
5707 The Sum Of Us Heather McGhee 2021 American English
8978 The Great Divide Joseph Stiglitz 2015 American English
10516 The Deficit Myth Stephanie Kelton 2020 American English
10875 Invisible Women Caroline Criado Perez​​ 2019 British English
11663 The Cost Of Good Intentions Charles R. Morris 1980 American English
12144 The History Manifesto Johanna Hanink 2014 American English
14520 Why Does College Cost So Much? Robert B. Archibald 2010 American English
14554 The City That Became Safe Franklin E. Zimring 2011 American English
14833 Plagues And The Paradox Of Progress Thomas J. Bollyky 2018 American English
14985 The Spirit Level Richard Wilkinson 2009 British English
17164 Parliament of Whores P. J. O'Rourke 1991 American English
17164 Street Level Bureaucracy (Publications Of Russell Sage Foundation) Michael Lipsky 1980 American English
17164 The Two‑Parent Privilege Melissa S. Kearney 2023 Unknown English
17164 This Is Wildfire Nick Mott, Justin Angle 2023 Unknown English
17164 The Ferguson Report Nicole Sealey 2023 Unknown English
17164 Carmageddon Daniel Knowles 2023 Unknown English
17164 Best Things First Bjørn Lomborg 2023 Danish English
17164 Milton Friedman Jennifer Burns 2023 Unknown English
17164 Johnson At 10 Anthony Seldon, Raymond Newell 2023 British English
17164 Another Day In The Death Of America Gary Younge 2016 British English
17164 Unequal Democracy Larry Bartels 2008 American English
17164 The Economics Of Innocent Fraud john kenneth galbraith 2004 American English
17164 The New Climate War Michael Mann 2021 American English
17164 The Big Fix Hal Harvey, Justin Gillis American English
17164 Addiction Humphreys, Keith American English
17164 Wie Politik Funktioniert Wolf Wagner German German