'A persuasive and highly readable account of how rising inequality, and not just absolute poverty, is undermining our politics, social cohesion, long-term prosperity and general well-being' Barack Obama

Inequality makes us feel poor and act poor, even when we're not. It affects our mood, decision-making and even our immune systems. Using groundbreaking research in psychology and neuroscience, Keith Payne explains how inequality shapes our world and influences our thinking, how we perform at work and respond to stress - and what we can do to combat its most insidious effects on our lives.

'Eye-opening' Susan Cain, author of Quiet
'Important, timely and beautifully written' Adam Atler, author of Irresistible

"Brilliant ... [A]n important, fascinating read arguing that inequality creates a public health crisis ... Payne challenges a common perception that the real problem isn't inequality but poverty, and he's persuasive that societies are shaped not just by disadvantage at the bottom but also by inequality across the spectrum" - NEW YORK TIMES

"Authoritative, thought provoking, accessible and well worth a spot on your summer reading list ... Payne embraces the egalitarian view that inequality of income is problem in and of itself-economically, morally, politically ... While we have come to understand that a society can suffer from having either too much inequality or too little, the challenge now is identifying and getting to that sweet spot in between" - WASHINGTON POST

"Keith Payne, professor of psychology and neuroscience, weaves strands of memoir into THE BROKEN LADDER, which accepts inequality of income as a problem but then goes on explain how it affects our mood, decision making and even our immune systems" - THE BIG ISSUE