{"product_id":"the-random-factor-mark-robert-rank-9780520430754","title":"The Random Factor: How Chance and Luck Profoundly Shape Our Lives and the World Around Us","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"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.\"--\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eJacobin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 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. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt'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 \u003ci\u003eThe Random Factor\u003c\/i\u003e, 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Random Factor\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Mark Robert Rank\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0520430751\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780520430754\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of California Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/19\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 302\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.89lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.68d","brand":"Mark Robert Rank","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48659675054335,"sku":"9780520430754","price":26.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-random-factor-mark-robert-rank-9780520430754","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}