"Drawing from his own experience on the front lines (as a pioneer of employee stock ownership legislation and a lifetime in national politics and corporate finance), and citing startling statistics of the growing disparities in wealth and income, Gates paints a compelling picture of how political and business interests have long conspired to concentrate power and influence. The effects are manifested in a variety of increasingly disturbing conditions that reflect a penchant for short-term returns over long-term solutions - from voter apathy to ecological devastation to an educational system in crisis."--BOOK JACKET.