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hughnoble's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting. Loads of great ideas of how to make the economy sustainable and improve quality of life.
janickiam's review against another edition
5.0
A compelling and reasonable account of how a shift from a growth oriented, consumerist society to a sustainable steady-state economy could have innumerable ecological and societal benefits. This book completely shook up the way I view our national and global economies, but showed me how a steady-state economy could promote a more stable and fulfilling lifestyle. I was also impressed by how the authors portrayed complex economic ideas in a thorough yet easy to understand manner.
snowcrash's review
4.0
What happens when growth is the only thing to measure? When will it stop, as physics and common sense state there is a limit to everything. Climate change is the result of growth without regard to costs.
Why is a town happy that it has a growing population? Or that a person is buying more shoes or pants or toys, even though the house already has more than it can use?
The authors posit the question, when is it enough. This fits a lot of what I've been thinking about over the last year. How can I make a smaller impact on the planet? It starts with a change of mindset. When do you have enough?
In an article I read awhile ago, it isn't about being happy, but useful. If your idea of the pursuit of happiness is to have a flashier car than some faceless person or that you may be seen in the same dress twice, then you have bought into the marketing hype. The fashion world is supported on the idea that clothes are disposable and you need to be refreshing your overcrowded closet on a regular basis. I bought two wool shirts and got rid of 90% of my t-shirt collection as a result. I now have enough shirts & a much emptier closet as a result.
The book provides the frame work to apply this to everything around you, not just stuff. We need to get used to the idea of a steady state economy, one that doesn't grow, but becomes more egalitarian for all. Investing in ourselves, that should be our growth. Not stuff that impacts the environment in a negative way. This is a good book to start that shift in mindset to make a better world, one small step at a time.
Why is a town happy that it has a growing population? Or that a person is buying more shoes or pants or toys, even though the house already has more than it can use?
The authors posit the question, when is it enough. This fits a lot of what I've been thinking about over the last year. How can I make a smaller impact on the planet? It starts with a change of mindset. When do you have enough?
In an article I read awhile ago, it isn't about being happy, but useful. If your idea of the pursuit of happiness is to have a flashier car than some faceless person or that you may be seen in the same dress twice, then you have bought into the marketing hype. The fashion world is supported on the idea that clothes are disposable and you need to be refreshing your overcrowded closet on a regular basis. I bought two wool shirts and got rid of 90% of my t-shirt collection as a result. I now have enough shirts & a much emptier closet as a result.
The book provides the frame work to apply this to everything around you, not just stuff. We need to get used to the idea of a steady state economy, one that doesn't grow, but becomes more egalitarian for all. Investing in ourselves, that should be our growth. Not stuff that impacts the environment in a negative way. This is a good book to start that shift in mindset to make a better world, one small step at a time.
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