Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future

The bestselling author of The End of Nature issues an impassioned call to arms for an economy that creates community and ennobles our lives

In this powerful and provocative manifesto, Bill McKibben offers the biggest challenge in a generation to the prevailing view of our economy. For the first time in human history, he observes, ?more? is no longer synonymous with ?better??indeed, for many of us, they have become almost opposites. McKibben puts forward a new way to think about the things we buy, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the money that pays for it all. Our purchases, he says, need not be at odds with the things we truly value.

McKibben?s animating idea is that we need to move beyond ?growth? as the paramount economic ideal and pursue prosperity in a more local direction, with cities, suburbs, and regions producing more of their own food, generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment. He shows this concept blossoming around the world with striking results, from the burgeoning economies of India and China to the more mature societies of Europe and New England. For those who worry about environmental threats, he offers a route out of the worst of those problems; for those who wonder if there isn?t something more to life than buying, he provides the insight to think about one?s life as an individual and as a member of a larger community.

McKibben offers a realistic, if challenging, scenario for a hopeful future. As he so eloquently shows, the more we nurture the essential humanity of our economy, the more we will recapture our own.

Price Range:$15.00 to $16.50 | 2 stores
Product Rating:

58 Reviews
Info:
Set Price Alert Save to Wish List

BestDeal

$15.00 at Textbooks.com

Write a product review

ProductReviews

1-10 out of 58

From: Amazon
Posted: Sep-29-2009

What a nice, surprising read!

I had no idea what to expect going into this book, and I must say that I feel all the wiser for reading it. McKibben gives a wonderfully, refreshing alternative to globalization than fellow writer, Thomas Friedman, offers in The World is Flat: instead of pushing for greater innovation and being...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Jul-23-2009

I keep returning to Deep Economy

I first read this book 2 or 3 years ago. It is perhaps the best book I've read on the interconnected nature of our economy, creating a sustainable future, the health of the planet, our relationships with our neighbors and our happiness as a people. Bill makes a compellingly powerful case that...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Jun-26-2009

Inspiring and well written

This book inspired me to change parts of the way I live. McKibben not only brings light to unnoticed subjects, but he does it in great style. Deep Economy is an engaging book that has the ability to make a big impact on the world.

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Jun-17-2009

Concrete Solutions

Bill McKibben tells the same tale as countless other scientists. The world is in pretty deep trouble as it is, and things are likely to get even worse in the coming years. Our planet simply cannot support the unbridled growth we've expected and experienced, and we are draining its resources at...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: May-22-2009

Surprising.

Bill McKibben, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future (Henry Holt, 2007)I originally wrote McKibben off as an environut, and actually picked this up as a combustible (my term for a book so horrid on its surface it just begs for a bad review). Then I read the first chapter,...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: May-16-2009

not as compelling as I'd hoped

At the risk of upsetting people with whom I've probably got a lot in common, I must admit that this book wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped.I was intrigued by the book's primary thesis: that increased focus on local communities can help us to correct our current, unsustainable growth model. The...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Mar-13-2009

Communities should endure in face of future troubles

Deep Economy will force you to reevaluate your purchasing patterns and (hopefully) your consumer behavior. He illustrates that the current economic model most nations are using may end up with many more losers than winners. While the world is growing at an enormous rate, we are consuming at an...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Jan-15-2009

Must Read

Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable FutureAdd this to your must read list. It is interesting, challenging and extremely relevant!

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Jan-06-2009

Not Far Enough

McKibben's Deep Economy is very good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough towards discussing sustainable economies and societies. Our populations are already far beyond the size Earth could sustain in a style approaching Europe's or North America's economies. A Very Deep Economy...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-16-2008

Vital Reading for the Future

This book provides an insight into shifting society toward human values and survival of community, both of which are endangered. Delightfully readable and optimistic and practical.

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

Write a product review

1 2 3 4 5 Next