The Random Factor (Paperback)

Prof. Mark Robert Rank

ISBN 10: 0520430751 / ISBN 13: 9780520430754

Published by University of California Press, Berkerley, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. A poverty expert reveals how truly random the world isincluding how economic inequality is experiencedand how we can learn to acknowledge chance and appreciate it. It's comforting to think that we can be successful because we work hard, climb ladders, and get what we deserve, but each of us has been profoundly touched by randomness. Chance is shown to play a crucial role in shaping outcomes across history, throughout the natural world, and in our everyday lives. In The Random Factor, Mark Robert Rank draws from a wealth of evidence, including interviews and research, to explain how luck and chance play out and reveals how we can use these lessons to guide our personal lives and public policies. The Random Factor traverses luck from macro to micro, from events like the Cuban Missile Crisis to our personal encounters and relationships. From his perspective as a scholar of poverty, Rank also delves into the class and race dynamics of chance, emphasizing the stark disparities it brings to light. This transformative book prompts a new understanding of the twists and turns in our daily lives and encourages readers to fully appreciate the surprising world of randomness in which we live. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780520430754

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Random Factor (Paperback)
• Publisher: University of California Press, Berkerley
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520430751
• ISBN 13: 9780520430754
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

“Much of the power of the book comes from the discussion of ‘chance and luck’ operating at a far more mundane level in the lives of ordinary people. . . . Whether a person winds up in poverty is largely the result of factors outside their control.”―Jacobin

A poverty expert reveals how truly random the world is―including how economic inequality is experienced―and how we can learn to acknowledge chance and appreciate it. 
 
It’s comforting to think that we can be successful because we work hard, climb ladders, and get what we deserve, but each of us has been profoundly touched by randomness. Chance is shown to play a crucial role in shaping outcomes across history, throughout the natural world, and in our everyday lives. In The Random Factor, Mark Robert Rank draws from a wealth of evidence, including interviews and research, to explain how luck and chance play out and reveals how we can use these lessons to guide our personal lives and public policies.
 
The Random Factor traverses luck from macro to micro, from events like the Cuban Missile Crisis to our personal encounters and relationships. From his perspective as a scholar of poverty, Rank also delves into the class and race dynamics of chance, emphasizing the stark disparities it brings to light. This transformative book prompts a new understanding of the twists and turns in our daily lives and encourages readers to fully appreciate the surprising world of randomness in which we live.

About the Author

Mark Robert Rank is Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare at Washington University in St. Louis. He has received numerous awards for his scholarship and books, and his research has been reported in a wide range of national and international media.