Inequality is a surprisingly slippery issue. It involves not just straightforward comparisons of individuals, but also comparisons of price and consumption differences around the world - and over time. In The Haves and the Have-Nots, Branko Milanovic, the lead economist at the World Bank's research [...]

One of the world's leading experts on global income distribution walks us through the quirks of wealth through the ages. Who is the richest person in the world, ever? Does where you were born affect how much money you'll earn over a lifetime? How would we know? Why - beyond idle curiosity - do these[...]