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The Rent Is Too Damn High:

What To Do About It, And Why It Matters More Than You Think
Front Cover
37 Reviews
Simon & Schuster, Mar 6, 2012 - Business & Economics - 80 pages
From prominent political thinker and widely followed Slate columnist, a polemic on high rents and housing costs—and how these costs are hollowing out communities, thwarting economic development, and rendering personal success and fulfillment increasingly difficult to achieve.

Rent is an issue that affects nearly everyone. High rent is a problem for all of us, extending beyond personal financial strain. High rent drags on our country’s overall rate of economic growth, damages the environment, and promotes long commutes, traffic jams, misery, and smog. Yet instead of a serious focus on the issue, America’s cities feature niche conversations about the availability of “affordable housing” for poor people. Yglesias’s book changes the conversation for the first time, presenting newfound context for the issue and real-time, practical solutions for the problem.

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Review: The Rent Is Too Damn High

User Review  - Ryan Moulton - Goodreads

Yglesias makes a convincing argument for a surprising cause of US's worsening economic inequality : Pervasive low-density residential zoning. The US economy is built out of a relatively small number ... Read full review

Review: The Rent Is Too Damn High

User Review  - James Smyth - Goodreads

A strong (and concise) argument for land deregulation to allow denser residential development in valuable urban centers. It's startling how byzantine zoning rules are but heartening that we could do ... Read full review

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About the author (2012)

Matthew Yglesias is a columnist for Slate.com, writing regularly for that site’s “Moneybox” feature. He is a former fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, and holds a BA in Philosophy from Harvard University. His first book, Heads in the Sand, was published in May 2008 by Wiley. Matt has previously worked as an Associate Editor at The Atlantic, a Staff Writer at The American Prospect, and an Associate Editor at Talking Points Memo. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, and other publications. Matthew has appeared on Fox News and MSNBC, and been a guest on many radio shows.

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