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. Deep Economy makes the compelling case that the more we
nurture the essential humanity of our economy, the more we will
recapture our own.
