The Second Estate
The Second Estate by Ray Madoffby Ray Madoff
Shares rank 91 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
People recommend it as an excellent analysis of US tax policy changes and a good way to learn about the topic. No recurring caveat appears in the quotes.
People recommend it as an excellent analysis of US tax policy changes and a good way to learn about the topic. No recurring caveat appears in the quotes.
3 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Analysis of US tax policy changes
“It is an excellent analysis of the changes to tax policy in the US that have gotten us here.”
Comment from 6 May 2026 in “Life During Class Wartime” Good way to learn the topic
“I highly recommend Ray Madoff's book The Second Estate to learn more about the topic.”
Comment from 22 May 2026 in “How to convert between wealth and income tax”
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Cliff Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| The Second Estateby Ray MadoffThis page | 3 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 3 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I highly recommend Ray Madoff's book The Second Estate to learn more about the topic.”
“It is an excellent analysis of the changes to tax policy in the US that have gotten us here.”
“I'll be checking out from my library (once it's in the system!)”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.