Inheritocracy

It's Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad

Eliza Filby

$44.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Biteback Publishing
01 May 2025

Economics & Business; Economic theory & philosophy

Many of us grew up believing in a meritocracy, where hard work brings rewards. Go to university, get a job, put in the hours and things will be OK. That's what we were told

but the reality is that life chances and opportunities are no longer shaped by what we learn or earn but by whether we have access to the Bank of Mum and Dad. We're living in an inheritocracy, where parental support is what matters most

whether that's covering the cost of university, stumping up for a house deposit or helping with childcare. And let's be honest, this isn't something we like to talk about with our friends, families or as a society. It's a modern taboo.

In these pages, generational expert Eliza Filby explores the emergence of this inheritocracy through her own life story, revealing how her family's financial circumstances shaped everything from her education to her dating life, from her career to her class identity. Inheritocracy is a thought-provoking and candid blend of memoir and cultural commentary, told through Eliza's humorous and insightful voice.

With trillions of pounds set to be passed down the generations over the next two decades, a significant divide is emerging between those who can rely on family wealth and those who can't. Inheritocracy offers a fresh, captivating and honest look at our recent past and a future that will be shaped

for better or worse

by family fortunes.

This book goes beyond Boomer bashing and bemoaning house prices to explore how a reliance on mum and dad has infiltrated every part of young people's experience: from delayed adulthood, childcare, education and the property ladder to an inevitable future of looking after our parents. The book tells the story of how 'soft-boys' are a product of the inheritance economy, why millennial women are the real winners in an inheritocracy and how wealth has impacted modern dating

By: Eliza Filby
Imprint: Biteback Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781785908583
ISBN 10: 1785908588
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Dr Eliza Filby is a historian of contemporary and generational values. Her writing has been published in The Times, Spectator, Guardian and the Financial Times. She write regularly for Unherd as well as a weekly Substack Newsletter and a monthly column for City AM. She is the creator and presenter of the acclaimed It's All Relative podcast.