From investors and monetary authorities to governments and policymakers, nearly everyone assumed inflation was dead and buried. But people around the world are now facing a toxic new economic reality, and with it the prospect of widespread and increasingly widening wealth inequality. How did we get here? And what, if anything, can we do about it? Renowned economist Stephen D. King—one of the few who warned in advance of recent inflationary upheavals—identifies key lessons from the history of inflation that policymakers have chosen to ignore. From ancient Rome through the American Civil War to today’s asset bubbles, inflation has stemmed from political error, sovereign greed, and a collective loss of confidence in currencies. “We Need to Talk About Inflation” cuts through centuries of bad judgment and misunderstanding and offers a way to intervene now—so we can begin to address the political and social upheaval that inflation has unleashed.