Piketty starts off by saying that inequality isn't necessarily bad by itself, but asks whether it is useful for society - which I think you'll agree is the righ

Piketty starts off by saying that inequality isn't necessarily bad by itself, but asks whether it is useful for society - which I think you'll agree is the right way to approach it. The negatives are of course more associated with what happens to the poor than the rich. If you are born poor, CAN you rise to be a hedge fund manager (no matter how talented you are)? Will low-pay and long-hours spark political or social instability which is not worth the cost? What does society lose/gain from one level of inequality as opposed to a different level? Its a complex issue though and you'd really have to read the book to understand how Piketty approaches this.