Why people recommend it
The Great Leveler by Walter Scheidel is a sweeping historical examination that argues severe economic inequality throughout human history has only ever been substantially reduced by catastrophic upheavals such as mass mobilization warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and devastating pandemics. On an April 2020 episode of Timcast IRL, the host read aloud a super chat submission from a viewer who explicitly recommended reading Walter Scheidel's work alongside Robert D. Kaplan's writings to understand post-crisis societal shifts. The recommendation highlighted the book's capacity to provide deep historical context during times of widespread global uncertainty, offering readers a sobering look at the historical forces that level wealth disparities. The mention on the show demonstrated how audience members actively utilized historical and economic literature to make sense of contemporary societal disruptions, bringing academic analyses of inequality directly into live political commentary and streaming discussions.
Who recommended it
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“please read the coming anarchy by Robert D Kaplan and the great leveller by Walter shuttle both books describe the post”