For other readers (I assume you've read it or are aware of it), I really highly recommend at least skimming Progress and Poverty by Henry George [PDF: http://www.henrygeorge.org/pdfs/PandP_Drake.pdf]
It's mindblowing in its simplicity and how obvious it is in retrospect. Essentially that rent, so private land ownership, is the root cause of the persistence of poverty despite huge growth in production and capital. He goes on to make fairly strong (albeit polarizing) ethical arguments for the abolition of private land ownership and so on.
Easy to read, pretty entertaining, and eye opening.