In an age of so-called intelligent technologies, we believe that books authored by humans remain the most intelligent and effective technology for consciously shaping the way we feel, think, live, and work—both individually and within organizations. Indeed, the right book at the right time can change the trajectory of a career, a company, or even a country, so we scour publisher catalogs and press announcements from across the industry for all the latest book releases and highlight four each week that we believe have a chance at making such an impact. This week, our choices are:

Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet by Chuck Collins, published by The New Press

A scathing exposé of the hidden impact of America’s ultra wealthy on our social, economic, political, and ecological landscape—as well as a path toward a more equitable future.

Recently, it has become increasingly evident that extreme concentrations of wealth and power have profound impacts on our politics, but extreme inequality’s influence on our daily lives—and our futures—has been vastly overlooked.

In Burned by Billionaires, author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, Chuck Collins chronicles how the actions of the top .01% have severe consequences for the rest of us, especially those of marginalized identities. Collins takes down the “myth of meritocracy,” unraveling how the rich rig the game in their favor, resulting in a concentration of wealth in the hands of a tiny (but growing) class of billionaires—leading to both intense income and political polarization.