Why write this book? --;The propositions of that evening --;Blame and resentment --;In a world of inequality, are there really villains and victims? --;The them vs. us syndrome --;Painting mental images --;Small groups vs. large groups --;Manna from heaven? --;The false lure of democracy --;Wealth begets wealth --;Money --;what is it? --;Money is not porsperity --;Meaningless earning gaps --;The futile quest for economic equality --;The astonishing greatness of inequality --;Hampering inequality --;Redistribution of earnings and wealth --;Hiring and firing: what is fair? --;Jobs and prosperity --;Division of labor: the miraculous cornucopia --;Is there a limit to the number of jobs? --;Feast and famine --;Theft and prosperity --;Intrusion by any other name --;Do we deserve our good fortune? --;Inheritance --;Using violence to thwart peaceful activity --;Karl Marx --;The hazard of equalizing consequences --;Spontaneous order vs. intelligent design --;The disastrous lessons of social engineering --;The viability of the nation-state --;Wealth is more than material possessions --;The nature of liberty --;Discussion points.