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As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West
How the rich and the super-rich throughout Western history accumulated their wealth, behaved (or misbehaved) and helped (or didn’t help) their communities in times of crisis
The rich have always fascinated, sometimes in problematic ways. Medieval thinkers feared that the super-rich would act 'as gods among men’; much more recently Thomas Piketty made wealth central to discussions of inequality. In this book, Guido Alfani offers a history of the rich and super-rich in the West, examining who they were, how they accumulated their wealth and what role they played in society. Covering the last thousand years, with frequent incursions into antiquity, and integrating recent research on economic inequality, Alfani finds—despite the different paths to wealth in different eras—fundamental continuities in the behaviour of the rich and public attitudes towards wealth across Western history. His account offers a novel perspective on current debates about wealth and income disparity.
Alfani argues that the position of the rich and super-rich in Western society has always been intrinsically fragile; their very presence has inspired social unease. In the Middle Ages, an excessive accumulation of wealth was considered sinful; the rich were expected not to appear to be wealthy. Eventually, the rich were deemed useful when they used their wealth to help their communities in times of crisis. Yet in the twenty-first century, Alfani points out, the rich and the super-rich—their wealth largely preserved through the Great Recession and COVID-19—have been exceptionally reluctant to contribute to the common good in times of crisis, rejecting even such stopgap measures as temporary tax increases. History suggests that this is a troubling development—for the rich, and for everyone else.
The rich have always fascinated, sometimes in problematic ways. Medieval thinkers feared that the super-rich would act 'as gods among men’; much more recently Thomas Piketty made wealth central to discussions of inequality. In this book, Guido Alfani offers a history of the rich and super-rich in the West, examining who they were, how they accumulated their wealth and what role they played in society. Covering the last thousand years, with frequent incursions into antiquity, and integrating recent research on economic inequality, Alfani finds—despite the different paths to wealth in different eras—fundamental continuities in the behaviour of the rich and public attitudes towards wealth across Western history. His account offers a novel perspective on current debates about wealth and income disparity.
Alfani argues that the position of the rich and super-rich in Western society has always been intrinsically fragile; their very presence has inspired social unease. In the Middle Ages, an excessive accumulation of wealth was considered sinful; the rich were expected not to appear to be wealthy. Eventually, the rich were deemed useful when they used their wealth to help their communities in times of crisis. Yet in the twenty-first century, Alfani points out, the rich and the super-rich—their wealth largely preserved through the Great Recession and COVID-19—have been exceptionally reluctant to contribute to the common good in times of crisis, rejecting even such stopgap measures as temporary tax increases. History suggests that this is a troubling development—for the rich, and for everyone else.
440 pages, Hardcover
First published December 5, 2023
124 people are currently reading
2606 people want to read
About the author
Guido Alfani
10 books14 followersGuido Alfani is Professor of Economic History at Bocconi University, Milan (Italy). He is also an Affiliated Scholar at the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality (New York), a Research Associate at the CAGE Research Centre (Warwick) and a Research Fellow of the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR, London).
An economic and social historian and a historical demographer, he published extensively on Italy and Europe (and beyond), specialising in economic inequality and social mobility, in the history of epidemics and famines, in social alliance systems and social networks.
His most recent book, As Gods among Men. A History of the Rich in the West (Princeton University Press, 2023) is an ambitious attempt at providing a general history of the rich and the super-rich, and of how they obtained their wealth, from Antiquity until today.
His previous book, The Lion’s Share. Inequality and the Rise of the Fiscal State in Preindustrial Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2019), with Matteo Di Tullio, explores how preindustrial fiscal systems favoured a continuous increase in economic inequality, because they were designed by the elites, for the advantage of the elites.
Previous books by Alfani focused on the economic and social consequences of major catastrophes. The book Calamities and the Economy in Renaissance Italy (Palgrave 2013) discusses the impact of war, plague and famine in the different pre-unification Italian states during 1494-1629 - what Alfani dubs the "long sixteenth century". The book Famine in European History, a collection of essays which Alfani edited together with Cormac Ó Gráda, focused on major crises triggered by a scarcity of food (and/or of access to food). The book Pandemie d'Italia ("Italian Pandemics", Egea 2010, available in Italian edition only), which Alfani co-authored with Alessia Melegaro, covers the consequences of plagues (from the Black Death of the fourteenth century to the last plague epidemics affecting Italy in the early eighteenth century), of cholera pandemics, of the Spanish Flu and of other major influenza pandemics, of pandemics of sexually-transmitted infections such as syphilis and HIV, and closes with a discussion of recent pandemic threats, up to the "Swine Flu" influenza pandemic of 2009-10.
Alfani also published extensively in social history, particularly on the history of godparenthood and the spiritual kinship ties that it generated. To this topic he dedicated his first book, Fathers and Godfathers. Spiritual Kinship in Early-Modern Italy (Routledge 2009).
An economic and social historian and a historical demographer, he published extensively on Italy and Europe (and beyond), specialising in economic inequality and social mobility, in the history of epidemics and famines, in social alliance systems and social networks.
His most recent book, As Gods among Men. A History of the Rich in the West (Princeton University Press, 2023) is an ambitious attempt at providing a general history of the rich and the super-rich, and of how they obtained their wealth, from Antiquity until today.
His previous book, The Lion’s Share. Inequality and the Rise of the Fiscal State in Preindustrial Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2019), with Matteo Di Tullio, explores how preindustrial fiscal systems favoured a continuous increase in economic inequality, because they were designed by the elites, for the advantage of the elites.
Previous books by Alfani focused on the economic and social consequences of major catastrophes. The book Calamities and the Economy in Renaissance Italy (Palgrave 2013) discusses the impact of war, plague and famine in the different pre-unification Italian states during 1494-1629 - what Alfani dubs the "long sixteenth century". The book Famine in European History, a collection of essays which Alfani edited together with Cormac Ó Gráda, focused on major crises triggered by a scarcity of food (and/or of access to food). The book Pandemie d'Italia ("Italian Pandemics", Egea 2010, available in Italian edition only), which Alfani co-authored with Alessia Melegaro, covers the consequences of plagues (from the Black Death of the fourteenth century to the last plague epidemics affecting Italy in the early eighteenth century), of cholera pandemics, of the Spanish Flu and of other major influenza pandemics, of pandemics of sexually-transmitted infections such as syphilis and HIV, and closes with a discussion of recent pandemic threats, up to the "Swine Flu" influenza pandemic of 2009-10.
Alfani also published extensively in social history, particularly on the history of godparenthood and the spiritual kinship ties that it generated. To this topic he dedicated his first book, Fathers and Godfathers. Spiritual Kinship in Early-Modern Italy (Routledge 2009).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 13, 2023
So many tables and charts to tell the casual reader that the rich should pay higher taxes?
It was a great adventure, but I would have preferred a less nuanced relationship between inequality and the wealth of the one percent. However, this is definitely a matter beyond the control of our scientist :). The book deserves at least 4 stars.
It was a great adventure, but I would have preferred a less nuanced relationship between inequality and the wealth of the one percent. However, this is definitely a matter beyond the control of our scientist :). The book deserves at least 4 stars.
April 11, 2024
Solitamente non leggo saggi - ma questo, consigliato da un amico storico, è davvero fantastico! A parte i primi due capitoli, un po' più professorali diciamo, è super-leggibile e pieno di storie interessanti. Ho imparato tanto - auguro grande successo a questo libro.
May 29, 2025
A feat of endurance. I read this concurrently with a friend who majored in economics and who said he felt like he was "running through mud" working through this. It was very interesting, and it was dense and dry.
I could tell you about every book I've read this year anywhere from "serviceably" to "comprehensively," but this one just barely scrapes by into the "serviceably" category. It was so heavy on facts, figures, and historical timelines (especially in the weeds of data science in the first 100 pages) that It's difficult to understand a broader picture of any memorable gist-based ideas, and it had me questioning my own reading comprehension; there aren't difficult concepts to understand, but they're just presented so densely one after another in these very long pages, written by a non-native English speaker and academic, And we found ourselves wondering how to explain what we just read.
I think all this is a credit to this thoroughly-written academic book and a caution to casual readers. You have to love this topic just as much as this Italian economic history professor does. I'm glad I challenged myself with it and learned I can handle a book like this, but I'm also looking forward to lighter reads next.
I could tell you about every book I've read this year anywhere from "serviceably" to "comprehensively," but this one just barely scrapes by into the "serviceably" category. It was so heavy on facts, figures, and historical timelines (especially in the weeds of data science in the first 100 pages) that It's difficult to understand a broader picture of any memorable gist-based ideas, and it had me questioning my own reading comprehension; there aren't difficult concepts to understand, but they're just presented so densely one after another in these very long pages, written by a non-native English speaker and academic, And we found ourselves wondering how to explain what we just read.
I think all this is a credit to this thoroughly-written academic book and a caution to casual readers. You have to love this topic just as much as this Italian economic history professor does. I'm glad I challenged myself with it and learned I can handle a book like this, but I'm also looking forward to lighter reads next.
January 16, 2025
In depth to a fault at times, becoming repetitive on points. Overall a great book and interesting look at the history of how the rich attained their wealth and what they did with it.
September 21, 2025
4.5 stars
Summary: European centric history of the rich; focussing more on Italy
Plus points: takes time to really go through the detail of what he considers the rich, plenty of charts
Neutral: very academic in writing style.
Because a lot of the points overlap, he will repeat some points or make constant cross references to other chapters. It’s a great habit if you want to make a very detailed, nuanced argument. To the casual reader, it becomes repetitive (a negative).
Points that stuck out:
1) in defining his argument, he asks what wealth is, and there are three different types identified: a) material b) relational c) embodied. In practice, he then notes that we only study non-human capital (material wealth).
2) patterns in human history - inequality tends to grow unless interrupted by catastrophes crisis eg war, pandemics (Black Death) leading to redistribution
3) linked to that: the role of inheritance; forced partition of estates helping to reduce inequality. Rich then creating trusts (entails) to mitigate that (the family is the patrimony).
4) JP Morgan leading a team of financiers in 1907 to rescue - the rich historically functioning as a “back up” bank for the state (eg forced loans); but this function gradually being erased in modern society
5) pace of growth - New York grew faster than Boston so the rich couldn’t fill the spots fast enough. This hindered the development of the aristocracy; Boston’s elite ossified faster than New York
6) sources of wealth: nobility; entrepreneurship; finance. Some mention of being government officials; but not discussed (probably no longer applicable).
7) higher savings rate of the rich vs poor focusing on sustenance.
8) women being left out unless widowed
9) historical position of the rich - viewed with suspicion (still today).
7)
Summary: European centric history of the rich; focussing more on Italy
Plus points: takes time to really go through the detail of what he considers the rich, plenty of charts
Neutral: very academic in writing style.
Because a lot of the points overlap, he will repeat some points or make constant cross references to other chapters. It’s a great habit if you want to make a very detailed, nuanced argument. To the casual reader, it becomes repetitive (a negative).
Points that stuck out:
1) in defining his argument, he asks what wealth is, and there are three different types identified: a) material b) relational c) embodied. In practice, he then notes that we only study non-human capital (material wealth).
2) patterns in human history - inequality tends to grow unless interrupted by catastrophes crisis eg war, pandemics (Black Death) leading to redistribution
3) linked to that: the role of inheritance; forced partition of estates helping to reduce inequality. Rich then creating trusts (entails) to mitigate that (the family is the patrimony).
4) JP Morgan leading a team of financiers in 1907 to rescue - the rich historically functioning as a “back up” bank for the state (eg forced loans); but this function gradually being erased in modern society
5) pace of growth - New York grew faster than Boston so the rich couldn’t fill the spots fast enough. This hindered the development of the aristocracy; Boston’s elite ossified faster than New York
6) sources of wealth: nobility; entrepreneurship; finance. Some mention of being government officials; but not discussed (probably no longer applicable).
7) higher savings rate of the rich vs poor focusing on sustenance.
8) women being left out unless widowed
9) historical position of the rich - viewed with suspicion (still today).
7)
Read
February 6, 2024The rich, like the poor, are always with us. In fact, over many centuries – as this wide-ranging and ambitious book tells us – the richest in society have captured more and more of the overall wealth of Western societies. Since the time of classical Greece, as empires have risen or fallen, their fortunes and the power which goes with them have grown and grown. Only the Black Death of the 14th century and the two world wars of the 20th have checked or reversed the trend – and only then for a time. It has always resumed. In modern times, neither the recession following the 2007-08 financial crisis nor the Covid pandemic have dented the apparently inexorable upward movement in the wealth of the rich and ultra-rich.
Guido Alfani, an economic and social historian at Bocconi University in Milan, deftly interweaves stories of individual and family wealth into his narrative. There is Alan Rufus, a companion of William the Conqueror, who controlled the staggering amount of more than seven per cent of the national income of England and was perhaps the richest man – other than monarchs – who ever lived in Britain; Elon Musk could not aspire to such wealth. Then there are the Medici of Florence, the Fuggers of Augsburg, together with the wealthy of the Netherlands, France and, overwhelmingly in recent decades, Americans: Andrew Carnegie, the Rockefellers, John Pierpont Morgan (who in 1907 single-handedly stopped the collapse of the American financial system) and most recently the tech billionaires.
The core of the book, however, is an analysis of how these men (and they were almost all men) built and maintained their fortunes, why they did so and what their societies thought of their achievements. Throughout two millennia most of the rich have been rich because of inheritance. They had rich fathers or uncles; the prime examples are nobles, closely associated with royal dynasties. There have been periods when great fortunes have been made, such as the opening up of Atlantic trade in early modern times and the second industrial revolution of the late 19th century, but those who made their wealth then are small in number compared to the recipients of inheritances. In such periods, predictably, merchants, entrepreneurs and financiers typically sought to use their new-found riches to try to insert themselves into the older elites – and to pass on their wealth to their children and grandchildren.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Roderick Floud is the author of An Economic History of the English Garden (Allen Lane, 2019).
Guido Alfani, an economic and social historian at Bocconi University in Milan, deftly interweaves stories of individual and family wealth into his narrative. There is Alan Rufus, a companion of William the Conqueror, who controlled the staggering amount of more than seven per cent of the national income of England and was perhaps the richest man – other than monarchs – who ever lived in Britain; Elon Musk could not aspire to such wealth. Then there are the Medici of Florence, the Fuggers of Augsburg, together with the wealthy of the Netherlands, France and, overwhelmingly in recent decades, Americans: Andrew Carnegie, the Rockefellers, John Pierpont Morgan (who in 1907 single-handedly stopped the collapse of the American financial system) and most recently the tech billionaires.
The core of the book, however, is an analysis of how these men (and they were almost all men) built and maintained their fortunes, why they did so and what their societies thought of their achievements. Throughout two millennia most of the rich have been rich because of inheritance. They had rich fathers or uncles; the prime examples are nobles, closely associated with royal dynasties. There have been periods when great fortunes have been made, such as the opening up of Atlantic trade in early modern times and the second industrial revolution of the late 19th century, but those who made their wealth then are small in number compared to the recipients of inheritances. In such periods, predictably, merchants, entrepreneurs and financiers typically sought to use their new-found riches to try to insert themselves into the older elites – and to pass on their wealth to their children and grandchildren.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Roderick Floud is the author of An Economic History of the English Garden (Allen Lane, 2019).
August 14, 2025
Really great read, love a history that covers a very niche topic and follows that since time began. It makes you think about the role of the ultra-wealthy, thought-provoking idea that wealthy people don't just come into existence on their own, society tolerates them given they fulfill specific functions e.g. providing "insurance" for society in emergencies for instance. One of the main arguments of the book is that the modern ultra-wealthy no longer feel a responsibility toward society, that was severed at I believe he identifies the founding the Federal Reserve, when previously titans like J. P. Morgan had saved the American economy.
May 10, 2025
Money allows its possessors to arrange their lives as they plan. Within their set of priorities, those who have lots of money get to decide how they will use their bankroll to help others. When you are very very rich, you get to influence others in a major way. For instance, Andrew Carnegie famously created hundreds of parks and libraries throughout much of America.
This book outlines how the very very rich in the West have chosen to affect their fellow men. By Alfani's estimation, the rich rich have become increasingly rich and more and more averse to helping others over time.
This book outlines how the very very rich in the West have chosen to affect their fellow men. By Alfani's estimation, the rich rich have become increasingly rich and more and more averse to helping others over time.
September 17, 2025
The rich have always had a difficult time "fitting in" society. No matter what they do, they will receive criticism. Consume too much, you're flaunting your wealth. Consume too little, your hoarding your gold (a la Uncle Scrooge MacDuck). Ignore politics, you're abandoning your fellow men. Get into politics, you're throwing your wealth around. That, is, the wealthy's power becomes "as gods among men."
To diminish the negative social appearances, the wealthy have employed many strategies in he history of Western civilization. Despite its allowances for pomp and wealth, once Christianity went mainstream with the Roman Empire, there always has been a tug against too much wealth. Jesus quite literally said, it's more likely for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to get into the kingdom of heaven. He told the rich man to literally sell all his wealth if he wanted to become his disciple.
So, the wealthy often did that. At the end or near the end of their lives, they would sell their wealth or devote it to perpetual charitable institutions. Some orphanages and hospitals in Italy are still run today from the money donated during the 16th century by a wealthy merchant.
The rich were allowed great inequality, as long as they fulfilled their moral duty to feed during famines, and take care of society during an emergency.
With the rise of modern capitalism, the modern entrepreneur reieceved their wealth, not through noblesse and rentier landownership, but often through their own invention and industry. A meritocratic ethic socially justified their accumulation.
With the decline of Christian influence, greater inequality became more accepted. Yet, we still find some folks like Carnegie, who wrote an essay, "The Gospel of Wealth" arguing the wealthy should be "the trustees" and care takers of the poor. And their wealth ought to bless society. Much of his wealth went to noble causes, such as building libraries in rural communities (my own Moscow, ID's library is a Carnegie Library). Note, that among the gilded age barrons, Carnegie was one of the few that actually was truly self made, not born to privilege.
Today, much of that agitation about inequality, the questionable perception of Musk and Bezos and the 1% comes from the recent handling of the financial crisis and Covid. The government assured the preservation of the wealthy's fortunes, unlike the wealth destruction we witnessed during say The Black Plague or the Great Depression. Yet, the government did so not via taxation (as would be the method for contributions of the rich in times of need) but by debt. Debt funded by the wealthy, and the wealthy who recieve the interest from it. Bezos benefited from e-commerce during Covid, yet his workers faced much of the health and financial blunt of the pandemic.
While criticisms of the wealthy will never cease entirely, there certainly is an argument that their moral position could be improved greatly by a recognition of the responsibility they hold to society. Western Civilization has long believed it so.
To diminish the negative social appearances, the wealthy have employed many strategies in he history of Western civilization. Despite its allowances for pomp and wealth, once Christianity went mainstream with the Roman Empire, there always has been a tug against too much wealth. Jesus quite literally said, it's more likely for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to get into the kingdom of heaven. He told the rich man to literally sell all his wealth if he wanted to become his disciple.
So, the wealthy often did that. At the end or near the end of their lives, they would sell their wealth or devote it to perpetual charitable institutions. Some orphanages and hospitals in Italy are still run today from the money donated during the 16th century by a wealthy merchant.
The rich were allowed great inequality, as long as they fulfilled their moral duty to feed during famines, and take care of society during an emergency.
With the rise of modern capitalism, the modern entrepreneur reieceved their wealth, not through noblesse and rentier landownership, but often through their own invention and industry. A meritocratic ethic socially justified their accumulation.
With the decline of Christian influence, greater inequality became more accepted. Yet, we still find some folks like Carnegie, who wrote an essay, "The Gospel of Wealth" arguing the wealthy should be "the trustees" and care takers of the poor. And their wealth ought to bless society. Much of his wealth went to noble causes, such as building libraries in rural communities (my own Moscow, ID's library is a Carnegie Library). Note, that among the gilded age barrons, Carnegie was one of the few that actually was truly self made, not born to privilege.
Today, much of that agitation about inequality, the questionable perception of Musk and Bezos and the 1% comes from the recent handling of the financial crisis and Covid. The government assured the preservation of the wealthy's fortunes, unlike the wealth destruction we witnessed during say The Black Plague or the Great Depression. Yet, the government did so not via taxation (as would be the method for contributions of the rich in times of need) but by debt. Debt funded by the wealthy, and the wealthy who recieve the interest from it. Bezos benefited from e-commerce during Covid, yet his workers faced much of the health and financial blunt of the pandemic.
While criticisms of the wealthy will never cease entirely, there certainly is an argument that their moral position could be improved greatly by a recognition of the responsibility they hold to society. Western Civilization has long believed it so.
April 21, 2025
Dust Jacket Hardcover
I learned about this book from the Youtuber Atrioc. Apparently, it was so dry that it killed his book club. That was absolutely no problem for me (humble brag). So, it was fascinating to see how wealth accumulation across history and various economies tended to be monotonic (moving in one direction) and upward trending. Generally, wars, famines, and credit crunches led to situations where wealth accumulation is disrupted and wealth basically evaporates. One example that the author brings up is the Black Death. During the era of the Black Death, wealth was locked in the land or with the merchants. With all the merchants basically erased due to the Black Death, with so many people dead, cheap land flooded the system and destroyed the land values held by landowners. Of course, war, famine, and credit crises do not always make all the rich worse off. There will always be winners and losers with risky or conservative positions that you can take. However, the rich tend to have the most attractive investment vehicles available to them, which is how they are able to capture the lion's share of the economic gains from a growing economy. Generally, the rich with good financial habits tend to persist and become financial dynasties, while the rich who engage in conspicuous philanthropy and conspicuous consumption end up fading into obscurity. The United States in the Golden Age of American Capitalism was unique. We were able to have a more equal distribution of wealth from the 1940s to the 1970s due to the high tax rates and financial reforms that started being implemented in the aftermath of the 1929 Financial Crisis. It feels weird to read so much about a utopian high-tax world that was undone by the California property tax riots.
P.S. Apparently there were different nobles throughout history. We had Nobles of the Robe (noblesse de robe) and Nobles of the Sword (noblesse d'épée). As always, the new wealth scared the old wealth and this in part contributed to the sumptuary law culture of Catholic Europe. You must wear according to your station in life that you were born into and should not upend the social order by partaking in conspicuous consumption meant for the nobles.
I learned about this book from the Youtuber Atrioc. Apparently, it was so dry that it killed his book club. That was absolutely no problem for me (humble brag). So, it was fascinating to see how wealth accumulation across history and various economies tended to be monotonic (moving in one direction) and upward trending. Generally, wars, famines, and credit crunches led to situations where wealth accumulation is disrupted and wealth basically evaporates. One example that the author brings up is the Black Death. During the era of the Black Death, wealth was locked in the land or with the merchants. With all the merchants basically erased due to the Black Death, with so many people dead, cheap land flooded the system and destroyed the land values held by landowners. Of course, war, famine, and credit crises do not always make all the rich worse off. There will always be winners and losers with risky or conservative positions that you can take. However, the rich tend to have the most attractive investment vehicles available to them, which is how they are able to capture the lion's share of the economic gains from a growing economy. Generally, the rich with good financial habits tend to persist and become financial dynasties, while the rich who engage in conspicuous philanthropy and conspicuous consumption end up fading into obscurity. The United States in the Golden Age of American Capitalism was unique. We were able to have a more equal distribution of wealth from the 1940s to the 1970s due to the high tax rates and financial reforms that started being implemented in the aftermath of the 1929 Financial Crisis. It feels weird to read so much about a utopian high-tax world that was undone by the California property tax riots.
P.S. Apparently there were different nobles throughout history. We had Nobles of the Robe (noblesse de robe) and Nobles of the Sword (noblesse d'épée). As always, the new wealth scared the old wealth and this in part contributed to the sumptuary law culture of Catholic Europe. You must wear according to your station in life that you were born into and should not upend the social order by partaking in conspicuous consumption meant for the nobles.
April 18, 2024
Great read about the rich and the super-rich throughout Western history. I enjoyed the book division on starting with the definitions and diverse approaches about the topic, then jumping to the paths to wealth and analysing the societal role played by the rich in various historical periods. I liked the author's storytelling approach to selecting some people to exemplify his ideas and presenting the different behaviours of rich people in given contexts. I also enjoyed the connections with the works of Piketty and Milanovic, whom I also read. I found the book a bit repetitive sometimes, but I guess the author revisited many case studies of rich people from different angles to display his ideas comprehensively. In a sense, as I listened to the audio-book version and occasionally flipped through the e-book, this was an excellent way to really solidify my comprehension of its content. So it was didactic somehow, but I understand this might inspire comments that the book could be more concise. Finally, I humbly believe the author super-estimates the fragility of the position of rich people in current Western societies and underestimates their power to shape and twist narratives in their favour, even gaining support from the masses or shaping ideologies on different political sides. Maybe this is my personal bias as a Brazilian. The wealth inequality in my country is appalling and even extremely mild efforts to implement wealth/income redistribution are met with great resistance, with the rich managing to secure benefits irrespective of the political zeitgeist of the past decades.
February 8, 2024
“As Gods Among Men” is a history of the rich and super rich, in the West. It covers the who, what, when, where, and how the rich rose to power and/or retained their wealth in Europe and North America, over the past 1000 years.
The book is based on a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the wealthy in many countries, done in a very academic way. It refers to such seminal texts as Piketty’s “Capital” and Pomeranz’s “The Great Divergence” to help explain where these nobles, entrepreneurs, and financers came to wealth, how they kept their wealth, at what epochs did this happen, and how the game of acquiring and retaining wealth has changed.
Importantly, it asks the question about how long this world will tolerate the growing inequity between the rich and poor at a time when the world’s wealthy are much less willing to pay their fair share of taxes and support the larger societies and governments in which they are able to make and sustain their fortunes, when compared to previous eras.
The book’s author, Guido Alfani, is like Thomas Piketty, in that he sees violence and bloodshed ahead if the rich don’t change their current path of living separately and distinct from others.
The thing I liked best about the book was about how it reminded me that the wealthy are essential to our society because of the magnificent things they do, and the munificence they have offered to others. A great example of this were The Medici, who were wealthy bankers and powerful politicians, and yet sponsored the arts, architecture, and intellectuals of the Italian Renaissance. Moreover, many wealthy individuals and families have kept their societies from starving during famines and war. It's important to keep in mind the great things wealthy people do for our planet when the media generally has the viewpoint that the wealthy today are only takers and not givers.
There were also a few things I didn’t like about the book. I felt that it could have been more global with references provided for Asia, or at least a better explanation why the study did not include the wealthy beyond the West. There is data available, it is just more difficult for a European to access and understand due to language barriers. Moreover, Asians tend to have a very different way of thinking when it comes to wealth as was made apparent in Joseph Henrich’s very insightful book “The WEIRDest People in the World”.
I also found the book to be a bit heavy and tough to get through. One always must weigh the time invested in a book against the value obtained from it. I found that it was quite “a long walk for a short drink” when reading the book.
It’s a good book overall - especially if you are keen on better understanding the inequalities of wealth in this world – or at least the West – and what might become of this.
The book is based on a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the wealthy in many countries, done in a very academic way. It refers to such seminal texts as Piketty’s “Capital” and Pomeranz’s “The Great Divergence” to help explain where these nobles, entrepreneurs, and financers came to wealth, how they kept their wealth, at what epochs did this happen, and how the game of acquiring and retaining wealth has changed.
Importantly, it asks the question about how long this world will tolerate the growing inequity between the rich and poor at a time when the world’s wealthy are much less willing to pay their fair share of taxes and support the larger societies and governments in which they are able to make and sustain their fortunes, when compared to previous eras.
The book’s author, Guido Alfani, is like Thomas Piketty, in that he sees violence and bloodshed ahead if the rich don’t change their current path of living separately and distinct from others.
The thing I liked best about the book was about how it reminded me that the wealthy are essential to our society because of the magnificent things they do, and the munificence they have offered to others. A great example of this were The Medici, who were wealthy bankers and powerful politicians, and yet sponsored the arts, architecture, and intellectuals of the Italian Renaissance. Moreover, many wealthy individuals and families have kept their societies from starving during famines and war. It's important to keep in mind the great things wealthy people do for our planet when the media generally has the viewpoint that the wealthy today are only takers and not givers.
There were also a few things I didn’t like about the book. I felt that it could have been more global with references provided for Asia, or at least a better explanation why the study did not include the wealthy beyond the West. There is data available, it is just more difficult for a European to access and understand due to language barriers. Moreover, Asians tend to have a very different way of thinking when it comes to wealth as was made apparent in Joseph Henrich’s very insightful book “The WEIRDest People in the World”.
I also found the book to be a bit heavy and tough to get through. One always must weigh the time invested in a book against the value obtained from it. I found that it was quite “a long walk for a short drink” when reading the book.
It’s a good book overall - especially if you are keen on better understanding the inequalities of wealth in this world – or at least the West – and what might become of this.
February 24, 2024
Guido Alfani presenta una obra magnifica. Es una gran historia de los ricos en occidente, como formaron sus fortunas, ascendieron a sus posiciones de privilegio y lograron sobrevivir y reproducirse capturando gran influencia y poder político. El libro es una historia del rol social de los ricos, su función y como la percepción del peligro que representan para la democracia y el potencial que tienen para "salvar" al Estado se contraponen con el paso de los siglos.
La mayor lección del libro es quizá que los ricos en occidente tradicionalmente aunque sufriendo rechazos han cumplido un rol social importante al servir a sus ciudades o países en momentos de guerras, conflictos y desastres, son "graneros de dinero" no obstante, en tiempos recientes, al menos durante el siglo XX y en el presente han ido perdiendo dicho rol. Cada vez son menos útiles a la sociedad lo que de forma automática implica un peligro para ellos, pues si no sirven un propósito las sociedades pueden darse cuenta de que son prescindibles.
La mayor lección del libro es quizá que los ricos en occidente tradicionalmente aunque sufriendo rechazos han cumplido un rol social importante al servir a sus ciudades o países en momentos de guerras, conflictos y desastres, son "graneros de dinero" no obstante, en tiempos recientes, al menos durante el siglo XX y en el presente han ido perdiendo dicho rol. Cada vez son menos útiles a la sociedad lo que de forma automática implica un peligro para ellos, pues si no sirven un propósito las sociedades pueden darse cuenta de que son prescindibles.
December 19, 2024
This was a pretty good book overall. While it doesn’t have as great of “story-telling” as other authors in the field (like Micheal Lewis), it makes up for it in more technical quantitative analysis. I was glad I bought a physical copy instead of reading on my kindle because the many charts, graphs other visual etc. that were provided really help complete the picture.
The first part of the book is the by far the worst, but I’m glad I pushed through because the rest of the book was great. I learned a lot about a bunch of new people I hadn’t heard of prior to reading.
The author asks some really thought provoking questions, such as how long our current society will tolerate the growing divide between the rich and the poor compared to previous eras.
I also appreciated that this book wasn’t just a complete “eat the rich” type book, and had some pretty compelling stories about times where extraordinarily rich people/families directly saved towns, cities and in some cases whole societies from collapse.
The first part of the book is the by far the worst, but I’m glad I pushed through because the rest of the book was great. I learned a lot about a bunch of new people I hadn’t heard of prior to reading.
The author asks some really thought provoking questions, such as how long our current society will tolerate the growing divide between the rich and the poor compared to previous eras.
I also appreciated that this book wasn’t just a complete “eat the rich” type book, and had some pretty compelling stories about times where extraordinarily rich people/families directly saved towns, cities and in some cases whole societies from collapse.
October 7, 2025
The book promises to share some interesting facts about the richest people of Europe across different time periods.
It might have those facts in there, but sadly, I have not enjoyed the book, nor have I finished it. It's dry. It has pages upon pages about word definitions or about certain richness metrics that were used before. The author jumps over topics without any cohesion. Talks about one country in one time period, then about another country in another time period, back to the first country, back to explaining the definition of rich again, repeats the same thing over and over again.
The most boring book I have tried to read in years.
Not denying that the book might have interesting information on the topic.
It might have those facts in there, but sadly, I have not enjoyed the book, nor have I finished it. It's dry. It has pages upon pages about word definitions or about certain richness metrics that were used before. The author jumps over topics without any cohesion. Talks about one country in one time period, then about another country in another time period, back to the first country, back to explaining the definition of rich again, repeats the same thing over and over again.
The most boring book I have tried to read in years.
Not denying that the book might have interesting information on the topic.
May 5, 2025
As others have noted, it was repetitive - at times insufferably so. Anecdotes, like Vanderbilt’s assertion that a man who dies rich dies disgraced, were repeated to make points that had previously been made.
However, I’m glad I read this!
As a systematic analysis of the rich over time it helped me put more mainstream history books, like biographies of Gilded Age robber barons and medieval merchant dynasties, into perspective. I also enjoyed digging into the question “What does it mean to be rich” and the breakdown of the relative prevalence of different pathways to wealth across time.
However, I’m glad I read this!
As a systematic analysis of the rich over time it helped me put more mainstream history books, like biographies of Gilded Age robber barons and medieval merchant dynasties, into perspective. I also enjoyed digging into the question “What does it mean to be rich” and the breakdown of the relative prevalence of different pathways to wealth across time.
August 5, 2025
Alfani’s ambitious book connects historical patterns of wealth accumulation, moral legitimacy, and crisis response of the rich across time and different political economies. As Alfani traces the evolution of wealth over centuries (I particularly enjoyed the stories of medieval landowners and early financiers like the Medici and the Fuggers) one pattern emerges: Western societies consistently struggled to integrate extremely wealthy elite. Although the rich attracted fascination through the centuries, they have been and are object of suspicion, hate, criticism, and scorn.
May 27, 2024
Read like the author was in defence of the rich - they could not do right, could they? No matter what they do, you common plebs still won't like them. Although I doubt that's the author's intention.
Much too academic for leisurely reading. Has many interesting stories but much too repetitive in driving his points that the chapters start to blend into each other.
Much too academic for leisurely reading. Has many interesting stories but much too repetitive in driving his points that the chapters start to blend into each other.
June 20, 2024
I enjoyed this guide to how the ultra rich have acted and been perceived throughout western history, and also how their membership has evolved. The book contained a great deal of anecdotal evidence where I wished it focused more on overall trends however they did serve to emphasise the author’s points.
December 30, 2024
Tema interessante. L'autore fornisce una visione molto ricca di dati e una analisi abbastanza complessa dei fenomeni che coinvolgono i ricchi e i super ricchi nelle società occidentali, nel corso della storia.
Purtroppo, però, il testo appare molto ripetitivo e dispersivo. Avrebbe avuto bisogno di un editing molto più incisivo. Questo rende la lettura faticosa e a tratti noiosa.
Purtroppo, però, il testo appare molto ripetitivo e dispersivo. Avrebbe avuto bisogno di un editing molto più incisivo. Questo rende la lettura faticosa e a tratti noiosa.
April 24, 2025
Una lectura excelente para quienes estamos interesados en los procesos históricos que dieron forma al sistema económico actual. Desde un punto de vista metodológico, la obra resulta especialmente impresionante, ya que busca cuantificar la distribución de la riqueza en Occidente, abarcando un extenso periodo que va desde la época romana hasta la actualidad.
May 11, 2025
A few fun chapters. However the book drags, repeats itself, glosses over Colonization, slavery, and any sort of comparison of “Rich in the West” to alternatives, and how a history of wealth in the west may differ from other systems like eastern or middle eastern.
Interesting anecdotes, but lacks scope.
Interesting anecdotes, but lacks scope.
February 8, 2024
My brother in Christ; you are a good historian, but you have way too many prejudices that shine through, that it takes away the enjoyment of history unfolding under it's own weight. I enjoyed it though. Thank you.
March 16, 2024
This is one of those nonfiction books that would have been a really valuable article with lots of references. It has a few valuable ideas about how we define wealth, the pathways to wealth, and what the wealthy owe the rest of society. And then so much fluff to prove logical ideas.
April 11, 2024
Ignoring the redistributionist bent, a modestly readable history overview of the rich. Hedges his veiled admiration of Piketty and controversy surrounding his (Piketty) questionable data sets/analysis. Lightly glosses over the Rothchilds and their ilk, of course...
August 28, 2025
This felt like reading a phd that wasn’t ready to be made into a book. Author gets lost in nuances and definitions and forgets to make his point. No storytelling abilities. That being said, I learned a lot and will continue to refer back to it and read it in bits and pieces.
October 27, 2025
very detailed historical review of the wealth of the rich, highlights interesting issues like how cultural acceptance of rich and their role in society has changed over time. felt it could have done more to argue how to get our of this situation other than the four pages at the end
March 27, 2024
Excellent read, scholarly but full of engrossing stories. Very interesting theory on the role of the rich in society. Recommended!
April 9, 2024
Rich with data and compelling. A great piece of history writing
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