Economist HENRY GEORGE (1839-1897) was, at the height of his popularity in the 1880s and 1890s, considered the third most famous American, behind Mark Twain and Thomas Edison, and his liberal philosophies on taxation, copyrights, poverty issues, and more continue to influence progressive movements today.

Here, in this Henry George work that has been called George's "fighting book," gathers together essays that first appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and so incensed readers that the editors turned against him.

George's ragings against the corrupting influence of money and power in politics, the ever-widening gap between rich and poor, rampant unemployment, and other pressing societal matters are not only passionate and muckraking, they also offer proposals for righting wrongs, making George a thinker of continuing importance in today's still-unequal world.

ALSO FROM COSIMO: George's Progress and Poverty, The Science of Political Economy, A Perplexed Philosopher, Protection or Free Trade, and The Condition of Labor