Distinguished economic historian, Peter Temin, talks us through some of his favourite books. His own latest book, The Vanishing Middle Class, charts America’s regression towards a pre-industrial society: with many poor, a few rich, and not much in between.

The US, the UK and many other countries around the globe have become far less equal over the past 30 years. It’s important we understand how and why this happened, and what it means for our societies, says Daron Acemoglu, a professor of economics at MIT. He recommends the best books to get a better understanding of inequality.

Inequality is coming not just from the economy; it is coming from politics and policy, says Jamila Michener, assistant professor of government at Cornell University. Here she chooses five books that showcase some of the best, most thought-provoking writing on the politics and consequences of policy.

‘When it comes to human happiness the inequalities which matter most aren’t financial. They are in terms of health or education. When it really comes down to it, what matters most is that are you well, that you are going to live a long life, that your children are going to live a long life.’

The Chief Economist at HSBC reflects on the hubris of the Western World and reminds us that history provides valuable lessons on financial crises and the constant changing shape of the world economy

Income inequality has reached a crisis point in America, says journalist Timothy Noah, author of The Great Divergence – yet with powerful nationwide pressure to address the problem, there is also an opportunity for change.

What is the difference between fairness and equality? In contemporary capitalist societies, some inequality is inevitable and desirable. But the rewards for the few at the top have soared while the rest have been squeezed. Is this fair? We need a new social contract, says the author and columnist

We’re richer and freer as a society than we used to be but it’s now clear there are downsides too. The MP for Tottenham, where the riots began, says we’ve created a hyper-individualistic culture and explains how we must change it

The anthropologist tells us about books that give voice to low-wage migrant labourers and explains the mutual dependence of slums and “urban glamour zones”

The head of USAID says ending poverty is within our grasp, and explains why development and a flair for business can be a happy combination

What makes the most successful societies tick? The RSA’s Matthew Taylor says we should recognise that relationships and values are more important than scientific or economic advances

World Bank economist and author of The Haves and the Have-Nots: A Short and Idiosyncratic History of Global Inequality discusses global economic inequality and says internal issues of inequality breed aggressive foreign policy

The Bangladeshi campaigner for lifting women out of poverty says village life has been wrongly idealised. It is not a harmonious whole, with the elders looking after the interests of all the villagers alike

Millions of people around the world still die of malnourishment each year, and 815 million people go hungry, according to statistics for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. And yet, there is hope. Roger Thurow, Senior Fellow for Global Food and Agriculture at the Chicago Council and author of Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty, recommends books with inspiring examples of what individuals and organizations have done to try and reduce sickness and hunger around the world.

The UN veteran chooses books on the fate of children in the developing world and the Millennium Goals and says giving money to the poor works

“I was looking for books that offer good, practical ideas on how to make the world a better place.” Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof, recommends books to read if you’d like to save the world.

The prominent international economic adviser, Jeff Sachs, says we can reduce poverty by devoting just a modest fraction of our vast wealth to the effort.

The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize-winner talks about his creation of micro-credit and walks us through his five books on poverty and how to eradicate it – includes Zola’s Germinal and Dickens’ A Tale Of Two Cities

Modern microfinance was born in the late 1970s, and is now viewed as a key way of helping people in poor countries get out of poverty. Author and practitioner Stuart Rutherford recommends the best books to get a basic understanding of microfinance.