Product Description
The Inequality Machine
Author(s): Paul Tough
Format: Paperback
How universities are creating a more unequal world - and what to do about it
'Indelible and extraordinary, a powerful reckoning with just how far we've allowed reality to drift from our ideals.' Tara Westover, New York Times Book Review
We're told that universities are our greatest driver of social mobility. But it's a lie.
The Inequality Machine is a damning exposé of how the university system ingrains injustice at every level of American society.
Paul Tough, bestselling author of How Children Succeed, exposes a world where small-town colleges go bust, while the most prestigious raise billions every year; where overstretched admissions officers are forced to pick rich candidates over smart ones; where black and working-class students are left to sink or swim on uncaring campuses. Along the way, he uncovers cutting-edge research from the academics leading the way to a new kind of university - one where students succeed not because of their background, but because of the quality of their minds.
The result is a call-to-arms for universities that work for everyone, and a manual for how we can make it happen.
'Humanizes the process of higher education . . . Fascinating stories about efforts to remediate class disparities in higher education' New Yorker
About the Author
Paul Tough’s previous book, How Children Succeed, spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestseller lists and was translated into 27 languages. He is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and a regular contributor to the public-radio programme This American Life. You can learn more about his work at paultough.com and follow him on Twitter: @paultough.
For custom orders and quotes: shop@schoolspace.co.za
© 2026 Schoolspace. This product description is the exclusive intellectual property of the publisher, protected under copyright law. Unauthorized use, adaption, or copying is strictly prohibited.
