Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-226) and index.

Acknowledgments -- Abstract -- Introduction: income inequality, labour market and uneven development during financial capitalism -- Definitions, approaches and origins of income inequality -- Theories, methods and varieties of inequality -- The determinants of income inequality in rich countries -- Welfare capitalism versus financial capitalism during globalisation -- Financialisation and financial crisis : policies and empirical evidences -- The foundation of the financial crisis : inequality and labour flexibility -- Varieties of capitalism, regulations and responses to the financial crisis : the European social model versus the US model -- Economic policies and growth strategies after the crisis : different approaches in USA, Japan and EU -- Why some countries perform better than others did during the initial phase of the crisis? -- Global imbalances, declining hegemony and the need for a new global governance -- Conclusion -- Appendix -- Inde.