# Trade Wars are Class Wars by Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Trade Wars are Class Wars by Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a readable economist's account of trade imbalances and their effect on class and politics, a fuller treatment than the informal explanations common on Hacker News.

## Why people recommend it

- Written by a careful economist (2 comments): "If you want details from an economist who does his homework, "Trade Wars are Class Wars" by Klein and Pettis." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48693781)) "If you want the whole story from an actual economist, read "Trade Wars are Class Wars" by Klein and Pettis." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49578167))
- Better explanation than casual takes (3 comments): "If you want to hear an actual economist talk about this, see "Trade Wars are Class Wars" by Klein and Pettis." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46288497)) "For a much better explanation of this, read Trade Wars are Class Wars" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49738010)) "If you want the full economist version" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48831592))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty](https://hackerapproved.com/p/capital-in-the-twenty-first-century.md): 12 recommend
- [Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson](https://hackerapproved.com/p/why-nations-fail.md): 9 recommend
- [Progress and Poverty by Henry George](https://hackerapproved.com/p/progress-and-poverty.md): 6 recommend
- [Free to Choose by Milton Friedman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/free-to-choose.md): 5 recommend
- [Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir Lenin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/imperialism-the-highest-stage-of-capitalism.md): 5 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300261446?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780300261448) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Trade Wars are Class Wars by Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis", https://hackerapproved.com/p/trade-wars-are-class-wars/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).