If you want to understand wealth in America, a good place to start is The Everywhere Millionaire by Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick. It offers a fact-filled analysis of the role of pass-through businesses, where many
wealthy people make their millions. A great balance of illustrative anecdotes and comprehensive data. My only objection is when the authors depart from their mostly positive analysis and insert their normative judgments. (The call in the epilogue for national health insurance and a higher minimum wage, whether you agree or not, comes off like a non sequitur--as if the authors had suddenly admonished the reader to eat more vegetables.) But overall, the book is excellent.
Thank you to Eric for getting me a pre-publication copy. The book comes out in September. Book review editors: Take note.
