Wealth in America

"In this book, Lisa A. Keister synthesizes theory and data from various sources to present a detailed picture of household wealth distribution from the early 1960s through the 1990s. The author utilizes existing survey data and a unique simulation model to isolate and examine some of the processes that create this distribution, paying particular attention to the wealth ownership and accumulation of top wealth holders, those who control the bulk of household wealth. She also identifies trends in wealth mobility that are not possible to estimate with traditional research methods. The results underscore the importance of wealth as an indicator of well-being, identify important causes of wealth inequality, and propose some methods of lessening the recent increase in the concentration of wealth."--Jacket.