Product Description
The Inequality Machine
Author: 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.