No wonder they see quants/HF traders as earthbound Gods. You'd think there would be a whole school of economics devoted to differential-equations-based modelling, but I can't find much of anything. I have not read Piketty, although I vaguely recall asking you about whether I should read it two, three years ago. You described it as a long and boring economics Powerpoint presentation. Considering I thought Graeber was longwinded, I never attempted Piketty's 25 Hour "..and then there's this graph" Extravaganza. But hey, between then and now I read Zinn and Pinker in less than six weeks, so if you think it can keep me engaged I can give it a shot.
I say do it. You kind of have to let it wash over you - it's a lot less engaging than Zinn or Pinker. I'd put it about on par with Mohammed Said from a prose standpoint and not quite as engaging as Judt. But as you do it, it's kind of a "....well holy shit" experience.