SKU: 17778818443

The Meritocracy Trap

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Description

The Meritocracy TrapA revolutionary new argument from eminent Yale Law professor Daniel Markovits attacking the false promise of meritocracy It is an axiom of American life that advantage should be earned through ability and effort. Even as the country divides itself at every turn, the meritocratic ideal that social and economic rewards should follow achievement rather than breeding reigns supreme. Both Democrats and Republicans insistently repeat meritocratic notions.

A revolutionary new argument from eminent Yale Law professor Daniel Markovits attacking the false promise of meritocracy

It is an axiom of American life that advantage should be earned through ability and effort. Even as the country divides itself at every turn, the meritocratic ideal that social and economic rewards should follow achievement rather than breeding reigns supreme. Both Democrats and Republicans insistently repeat meritocratic notions. Meritocracy cuts to the heart of who we are. It sustains the American dream.

But what if, both up and down the social ladder, meritocracy is a sham? Today, meritocracy has become exactly what it was conceived to resist: a mechanism for the concentration and dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations. Upward mobility has become a fantasy, and the embattled middle classes are now more likely to sink into the working poor than to rise into the professional elite. At the same time, meritocracy now ensnares even those who manage to claw their way to the top, requiring rich adults to work with crushing intensity, exploiting their expensive educations in order to extract a return. All this is not the result of deviations or retreats from meritocracy but rather stems directly from meritocracy's successes.

This is the radical argument that Daniel Markovits prosecutes with rare force. Markovits is well placed to expose the sham of meritocracy. Having spent his life at elite universities, he knows from the inside the corrosive system we are trapped within. Markovits also knows that, if we understand that meritocratic inequality produces near-universal harm, we can cure it. When The Meritocracy Trap reveals the inner workings of the meritocratic machine, it also illuminates the first steps outward, towards a new world that might once again afford dignity and prosperity to the American people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Markovits is Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School and founding director of the Center for the Study of Private Law.

REVIEWS:

Ambitious and disturbing. . . Markovits forcefully interrupts the comfortable bath of self-flattery in which our well-graduated professionals pass their hours.
New York Times Book Review

"The Meritocracy Trap defines a central issue of our age: the rise of new elites who, unlike their aristocratic forebears, seem to have the moral high ground. The system is rigged in a different way, but it's still rigged all right."
Sunday Times

We've been waiting for the Big Book that explains America's wrong turn. Daniel Markovits has supplied it. The Meritocracy Trap is a sociological masterpiece a damning indictment of parenting and schools, an unflattering portrait of a ruling class and the economy it invented. Far too many readers will recognize themselves in his brilliant critique, and they will feel a rush of anger, a pang of regret, and a burning desire to remake the system.
Franklin Foer, author of World Without Mind

Provocatively weighing in on growing inequality, Daniel Markovits weaves a disturbing tale of merit and social division. Pulling no punches, he warns us that meritocracy is a trap, fetishizing certain skills and endless assessments. Markovitz shows in exquisite detail the perverse link between an upper class education and elite jobs and how together they enrich the few, while devaluing and demoralizing the rest.
Jerry Brown, former governor of California

At once wide-ranging and rigorous, subtle and penetrating, Markovits's book is revelatory both in its particulars and in its big picture. Anyone who wants to argue about the merits of meritocracy must take account of this book.
Kwame Anthony Appiah, Professor of Philosophy and Law, NYU and author of The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity

Daniel Markovits has written a bold, brave critique of the meritocracy-backed version of inequality that prevails today. He argues persuasively that meritocracy is destructive and demoralizing for winners and losers alike. Challenging conventional wisdom, Markovits shows that technological change is not a fact of nature that happens to increase the value of highly credentialed workers; instead, the prevalence of credentialed elites calls forth technologies that bias the labor market in their favor and hollow out the middle class. This is a splendid book that should prompt soul-searching among meritocrats.
Michael J. Sandel, author of What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

The system is rigged. And the culprit, Daniel Markovits argues, is meritocracythe same ideal that was supposed to promote fairness. Brilliant, lucid, and urgent, The Meritocracy Trap exposes a national catastrophe.

James Forman Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Locking Up Our Own

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SKU: 17778818443

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4.4 ★★★★★
Based on 15 reviews
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Verified Purchase
DrM
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Aggressive chewer approved
Size: Large, Number of Items: 1, Size: Large, Number of Items: 1
Got this to help amuse my 90lb GSD while I was out of town for a month. He gets one meal a day in it, and really enjoys the work. It’s easy, not a puzzle, no frustration, just a “job.” He chewed on the yellow top pretty aggressively while I was gone, and it still works fine. This is a dog that destroys even the most durable chew toys in minutes to hours when he’s anxious, and I imagine he experienced some anxiety while I was gone especially during periods when he was alone. So, I’m quite pleased with the durability. This will definitely stay in the meal service rotation and I will replace it if necessary. One thing to note: the fill hole is pretty small. His kibble is small enough that one might think it would easily pour right in, but no. At some point I’ll get annoyed enough to pull out my drill and make that hole larger.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2026
C
Verified Purchase
carly shick
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Good product, fun distraction
Size: Large, Number of Items: 1
Honestly great and keeps them entertained while eating. Have a 5 month old pupper who chews and destroys. This is a fun distraction
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
M
Verified Purchase
manuel rodriguez
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
My dog loves it
Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red, Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red
The bone arrived today and my dog loves it. He is a very aggressive chewer and destroyed almost all his toys so far, even toys that were advertised for aggressive chewers unfortunately didn't held out long, the longest so far was a stuffy we couldn't find anymore and that one lasted him a few weeks but everything else lasted him an hour up to a few days max, even bones don't last him long so we have our hopes set on this bone to satisfy his chewing needs. I will update my review later on sturdiness, since we just got it and I can't review that yet but so far he loves it he has been chewing on it non stop, he already managed to get very small pieces of as shown in picture but with a regular bone he would've already been much much further. The bone is only 10 bucks so the value for money you get based on my experience so far is amazing! But also for this I will come back later to touch upon more. The size is good, our boy is a medium sized dog and this bone was advertised for medium to large size dogs and I thinks the size is just right for our boy . And there is definitely a beef flavor on it you can smell it but it doesn't smell bad it's a nice smell and not very strong but when he is chewing on it you smell it. I would based on my experience so far definitely recommend this bone but also on this I will touch back upon later if it's worth it in the long run. So far a very happy dog and owners here. Edit on May 8th (original review was on March 11th) He still hasn't managed to destroy it it's the first (cgew)toy he hasn't managed to destroy yet which is very impressive since he managed to destroy the even most toughest things we got for him in a week tops and bones within 1, 2 days tops, so we are very happy and pleased with this bone and will definitely get more later. He still enjoys chewing on it and leaves our things mostly alone for some reason he just likes stealing my things and chew on it lol. So 2 months later still stand by recommending this when your dog loves to chew and destroys everything he puts his mouth on.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Joy
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Extremely durable, dogs love them
Color: 2 PC-Beef-Red, Color: 2 PC-Beef-Red
I was looking for the toughest and most durable dog chew bone I could find and this is it. I have bought multiple other brands that claim to be very durable and tough for a very long time and this is the one for sure. The shower has described this phone accurately and it truly does last. I purchased this bone about 2 months ago. As you see from the photos attached, this is a very well made chew bone and my aggressive pitbulls can't tear it apart do they try. They never get tired of it and chewing it every single day for hours on and keeping them very occupied. I have two bones and three pitbulls that chew on it every day. It is so adorable and has an awesome flavor to it which I think entices them even more to want to chew on it. The durability and Lasting power is amazing to me with these tough chewers. I highly recommend this product to everyone out there. I will say only one negative and that is that the middle wraparound piece they were able to pull off but that is not a big deal because there is plenty of bone which was under that cover in the middle of the bone. There's a few mauled chips missing from the ends but the life of this bone is obviously going to be a long time which really surprised me. Give it a shot if you have heavy duty chewers and you will find how awesome this phone really is and it's durability and strength our second to none in my opinion.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2025
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Verified Purchase
WhoFan69
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
My dog loves it.
Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red
My dog is a super aggressive chewer when it comes to toys. Anything that is soft he rips apart. This one has a wonderful squeaky sound that makes him happy and he enjoys the smell of it. This is a very strong material and definitely worth the price.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2026

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