A history of the French 'social model' since 1980. A centrist critique of the poor redistributive return on social spending in France. The book seeks to answer the question: if social spending is so high in France, why are poverty and unemployment also so high? This book has been used widely in classrooms, was translated into French as “La France injuste,” (Editions Autrement, 2006), and was debated at length in the French media.