{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.020062262193012798, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0003459010722933241, 'mean_word_length': 5.166311300639659, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Book Review: Diamonds & War: State, Capital & Labor in British-Ruled Palestine

technological change explanation, the authors do not provide thorough discussion of the factors that underpin it and the mechanisms through which it is said to exist. There is also no discussion of the literature that supports the skill-biased technological change argument, which makes it hard for the reader to distinguish if the claims made in SWA are sound. A critical discussion of this theory should include at least some representation of alternative viewpoints and their sources. Chapter 5 discusses the role of employment growth, occupation type, “good jobs,” and unemployment. This chapter is clear and concise with several sources to complement and support the discussion. Overall, the main findings are that there has been an increase in service occupations, a decline in blue-collar jobs, and a decline in good jobs. These changes have all contributed to income inequality. Further, there is evidence that high unemployment over the recovery period is mainly a result of cyclical unemployment and not structural unemployment. The consequences of extended periods of high unemployment are not limited to the unemployment period. They extend to the individual’s replacement job in the form of lower wages, and there is evidence of less desirable employment outcomes for the children of the unemployed. In comparison to similar developed countries, the United States has the highest level of wealth inequality. Chapter six examines the role of wealth in rising income inequality. The chapter discusses the role of stocks, housing equity, and debt. The chapter also considers the rising number of individuals living in conditions of economic hardship and the role of bankruptcy in wealth inequality. Finally, the impact of unemployment on poverty, an assessment of different measures of poverty, and a discussion of the rising number of work hours for those at the bottom of the income distribution scale are included in chapter seven. Perhaps the book’s greatest strength is the thoroughness of its scope. The text covers a vast number of intricate relationships that relate to inequality. Future versions would benefit from a more inclusive discussion of immigration and immigrant labor. SWA presents multiple measures of economic well-being, along with concise discussions of the assumptions underlying the various interpretations of those data. Many chapters provide a fairly comprehensive literature review, while others include only some of the more prolific pieces of literature on the selected topic. The State of Working America is a solid and reliable reference book that would complement courses in labor economics, poverty and welfare, and political economy. Additionally, researchers interested in inequality, and income distribution in general, will find the book to be a useful resource.