Born on Third Base : A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good

As inequality grabs headlines, steals the show in presidential debates, and drives deep divides between the haves and have nots in America, class war brews. On one side, the wealthy wield power and advantage, wittingly or not, to keep the system operating in their favor—all while retreating into enclaves that separate them further and further from the poor and working class. On the other side, those who find it increasingly difficult to keep up or get ahead lash out—waging a rhetorical war against the rich and letting anger and resentment, however justifiable, keep us from seeing new potential solutions. But can we suspend both class wars long enough to consider a new way forward? Is it really good for anyone that most of society’s wealth is pooling at the very top of the wealth ladder? Does anyone, including the one percent, really want to live in a society plagued by economic apartheid? It is time to think differently, says longtime inequality expert and activist Chuck Collins. Born into the one percent, Collins gave away his inheritance at 26 and spent the next three decades mobilizing against inequality. He uses his perspective from both sides of the divide to deliver a new narrative. Collins calls for a ceasefire and invites the wealthy to come back home, investing themselves and their wealth in struggling communities. And he asks the non-wealthy to build alliances with the one percent and others at the top of the wealth ladder. Stories told along the way explore the roots of advantage, show how taxpayers subsidize the wealthy, and reveal how charity, used incorrectly, can actually reinforce extreme inequality. Readers meet pioneers who are crossing the divide to work together in new ways, including residents in the author’s own Boston-area neighborhood who have launched some of the most interesting community transition efforts in the nation. In the end, Collins’s national and local solutions not only challenge inequality but also respond to climate change and offer an unexpected, fresh take on one of our most intransigent problems. As heard on NPR's Fresh Air'This empowering light into a brighter future is a narrative you won't want to miss.'– Ralph Nader'Collins not only talks the talk but walks the walk...this is a worthwhile book to read, digest, and share'– Publishers Weekly An essential piece of reading for anyone concerned by the increasing wealth inequality–made worse by the global pandemic and political partisanship The growing wealth inequality continues to dominate headlines. The divide between the haves and have nots in America is increasingly political and tensions are rising. On one side, the wealthy wield power and advantage, keeping the system operating in their favor―all while retreating into enclaves that separate them further and further from the poor and working class. On the other side, those who find it increasingly difficult to keep up or get ahead are desperate and frustrated ―waging a rhetorical war against the rich and letting anger and resentment keep us from seeing new potential solutions. But can we suspend both class wars long enough to consider a new way forward? Is it really good for anyone that most of society's wealth is pooling at the very top of the wealth ladder? Does anyone, including the one percent, really want to live in a society plagued by economic apartheid? It is time to think differently, says longtime inequality expert and activist Chuck Collins. Born into the one percent, Collins gave away his inheritance at 26 and spent the next three decades mobilizing against inequality. He uses his perspective from both sides of the divide to deliver a new narrative. Collins calls for a ceasefire and invites the wealthy to come back home, investing themselves and their wealth in struggling communities. And he asks the non-wealthy to build alliances with the one percent and others at the top of the wealth ladder. Stories told along the way explore the roots of advantage, show how taxpayers subsidize the wealthy, and reveal how charity, used incorrectly, can actually reinforce extreme inequality. Readers meet pioneers who are crossing the divide to work together in new ways, including residents in the author's own Boston-area neighborhood who have launched some of the most interesting community transition efforts in the nation. In the end, Collins's national and local solutions not only challenge inequality but also respond to climate change and offer an unexpected, fresh take on one of our most intransigent problems. With The Heart Of An Agitator And The Soul Of A Storyteller, Inequality Expert Chuck Collins Upends Our Assumptions About America's Deep Wealth Divide - One That, For The First Time In Recent History, Locks The Nation's Youth Into A Future Defined By Their Class And Wealth At Birth; Limits Our Ability To Address Crises Like Climate Change; And Creates A World That No One, Not Even The Rich, Will Ultimately Want To Live In. In [this Book], Collins Calls For An End To Class War, Busts The Myths That Define Our Views Of Rich And Poor, And Offers Bold New Solutions For Bridging The Economic Divide And Re-engaging The Wealthy In Rebuilding Communities For A Resilient Future.-- Introduction: Time To Come Home -- I Heart The 1 Percent -- Proceed With Empathy -- Cracking Hearts Open -- I Didn't Do It Alone -- In The Same Boat: On The Road With Bill Gates -- The Privilege Drug -- The Greatest Subsidized Generation -- Black Wealth, Brown Wealth, White Wealth -- Unequal Opportunity -- Miro In The Bathroom: Encounters With The Charitable Industrial Complex -- When Charity Disrupts Justice -- The Moment We Are In -- A Stake In The Common Good -- Neighborhood Real Security -- Community Resilience -- Bringing Wealth Home -- Open-hearted Wealth -- Wealthy, Come Home -- All Hands On Deck -- Conclusion: I'm From Bloomfield Hills. Chuck Collins ; Foreword By Morris Pearl. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "With the heart of an agitator and the soul of a storyteller, inequality expert Chuck Collins upends our assumptions about America's deep wealth divide - one that, for the first time in recent history, locks the nation's youth into a future defined by their class and wealth at birth; limits our ability to address crises like climate change; and creates a world that no one, not even the rich, will ultimately want to live in. In [this book], Collins calls for an end to class war, busts the myths that define our views of rich and poor, and offers bold new solutions for bridging the economic divide and re-engaging the wealthy in rebuilding communities for a resilient future."-- Back cover