Summary of Anne Case and Angus Deaton's Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Anne Case and Angus Deaton's Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.Original book introduction: Deaths of despair from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism are rising dramatically in the United States, claiming hundreds of thousands of American lives. Anne Case and Angus Deaton explain the overwhelming surge in these deaths and shed light on the social and economic forces that are making life harder for the working class. As the college educated become healthier and wealthier, adults without a degree are literally dying from pain and despair. Case and Deaton tie the crisis to the weakening position of labor, the growing power of corporations, and a rapacious health-care sector that redistributes working-class wages into the pockets of the wealthy. This critically important book paints a troubling portrait of the American dream in decline, and provides solutions that can rein in capitalism's excesses and make it work for everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Nov 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638157106

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Insights on Anne Case and Angus Deaton's Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

However, the twentieth century saw astonishing improvements in human health, education, and economic standards, which many people around the world still enjoy today.

#2

The twentieth century saw tremendous improvements in health and living standards worldwide, with life expectancy and prosperity steadily improving over time.

#3

The life expectancy of a newborn is around seventy years in the United States. Throughout life, the chances of dying increase, with the exception of infancy and old age.

#4

Life expectancy in the United States has been on a steady increase since the 1930s, when the government began tracking this data. If this trend had continued, life expectancy by 2100 could have been expected to be more than 90 years old.

#5

The leading causes of death in the United States over the past century have been heart disease, cancer, and stroke. While some of these diseases can be prevented or treated, other causes such as Alzheimer’s and late-life cancers were largely preventable due to advances in medical science.

#6

The figure illustrates the dramatic reduction in mortality rates among white midlife Americans from 1900 to 2000.

#7

The United States, along with many other countries, saw a tremendous decline in mortality rates throughout the twentieth century.

#8

The good old days, when life was relatively easy and carefree, are long gone. We now live in a time of epidemic proportions, and the death rates are rising.

#9

In the past century, mortality rates in the US have been dropping for those in their forties, which has been attributed to better medical care.

#10

The figure shows the mortality rate of white non-Hispanic Americans, which began to fall around 1990,