In his book, The The New Dollars and Dreams, Frank Levy provides a comprehensive and rigorous history of the distribution of income and wealth in the United States, focusing in detail on post WWII development. The book is readable without sacrificing depth, with appeal to scholarly and non-scholarly audiences alike.

Conservative readers and/or those with a neo-classical economic philosophy of life may find some of the author's assumptions, conclusions, and prescriptions for change off-putting. But it is not an ideological polemic. It presents an enormous amount of data and information along with its judgments, allowing the reader to contest the author's opinions.

Highlights of the book include: the gini coefficient measure of wealth and income inequality, the important distinctions between wealth and income, trends in both wealth and income inequality, how education and the service economy have interacted to affect the distribution of income (but not wealth), and the importance of the distinctions between among the experiences of African American men and women's, as well as African American and white women.

Immensely useful and enjoyable--a rare combination.

Whoever titled this book ought to be shot. It sounds so inane. Nevertheless, the content is pretty darned good. A fascinating look at the Rise and long fall of Rat Pack, Levy constructs a fascinating, if not particularly deep book. The stories may be familar to many, but for someone who is not initmately familar with the Summit crew, it is a great intro. I've been a Frank guy for a long time, but now I know a bit more about the other packers. Levy is honest and straight forward. The stories about the Kennedys, the mob, the women, and oh yeah, the music are all here. The book is written in a style not unlike the boys--kind of all over the place, but it gets it right when the spotlight is on. It treats the subjects, all, with some degree with sympathy--with Peter and Sammy emerging with a great deal of sadness. A worthwhile and at times absorbing read. Levy is much less confident when he talks about the music--and is better when he deals with the stories. I enjoyed the last few chapters which deal with his analysis of the end. A well thought out thesis and about the last great American party. Well worth the 15 bucks.

Levy really tackles a tough subject here, writing not a biography of a person so much as a chronicle of a certain time (the age of Camelot), and a certain place (Las Vegas). Consequently, people who are looking for a detailed biography of Sammy, Frank, Dino, or even the two lesser members of the Rat Pack (Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop) would probably do better elsewhere. Nonetheless, Levy does a great job of providing a sort of introductory guide to the story of one of the most celebrated gang of entertainers who ever lived. There are excellent nuggets on the friendship between John Kennedy and Sinatra, along with juicy stuff about Marilyn (how could there NOT be?), gangster Sam Giancana, and enough gossip to satisfy the most demanding fan of the Age of Hef. Sure it's a bit shallow--heck, Levy tries to cover so much territory, it's a miricle the book reads as cleanly as it does--but it's clear not only that Levy did an awful lot of research, but that he enjoyed writing the book as well. In other words, a fast intro to the world of ring-a-ding-ding. Enjoy!

I've read a buncha stuff on this subject, and I really admire Levy's book. He's an excellent writer, and has done a great job of distilling a mountain of material into a meaningful and enjoyable read. His portraits of the individual Rat Packers are insightful and empathic, and I think he hits a perfect happy medium -- he neither tries to inflate the importance material nor turn the book into a sordid exercise in scandal-mongering. He also makes a wise choice on the level of detail -- enough, but not too much.

Anything that reads this easily must have been a bear and a half to write.

"Rat Pack Confidential" also paints a useful broad picture of various aspects of the history of popular entertainment, politics and organized crime in mid-Century America.

Nice job, Mr. Levy, and best o' luck in the future!

This was not the best book I have ever read,but it was one of those surprise books that jump out at you on the bookshelf as an interesting I cannot put it down read. It was insightful and interesting as well as enjoyable and I would recommend this book to basically anyone young or old. Kudos.