This book describes the key role of government and society in the success of individuals and businesses, debunking the myth that successful people are largely self-made and arguing that differing views of fairness are rooted in different understandings of the origins of wealth and financial success. The authors discuss the self-made myth and its consequences, roots, recent adaptations, and examples and the invisible contributions of government and society in the success of business leaders. They profile business leaders from Warren Buffett to Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's, and show how their wealth was created through a "built-together reality" of schools, roads, laws, and other taxpayer-supported institutions, chance factors, and the contributions of others. Lastly they discuss the implications for policy. Miller is a community organizer, coalition leader, and nonprofit director of United for a Fair Economy, the organization which created the Responsible Wealth project, of which this book is a product. The nonprofit raises awareness that concentrated wealth and power undermines the economy and aims to achieve broadly shared prosperity. Lapham is associated with Responsible Wealth, a network of business leaders and individuals advocating for more progressive taxation, fair wages, and greater corporate accountability. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less