PowerSwitch

A book which I have just ordered -

http://www.DODGY TAX AVOIDERS.co.uk/Prosperity-with ... -1-catcorr

- having listened to this TED lecture -

http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_jackson_s_ ... check.html

In it he says "We have been persuaded to spend money we don't have, on things we don't need, to create impressions that don't last, on people we don't care about." Absolutely brilliant. Sums up the advertising profession to a tee.

Jackson and the new economics foundation have been doing great work for many years, pretty much all of nef's studies, projects and campaigns would be of interest to most powerswitchers. http://www.neweconomics.org/

+1 Ken about the quote, sums up the current situation.

In it he says "We have been persuaded to spend money we don't have, on things we don't need, to create impressions that don't last, on people we don't care about." Absolutely brilliant. Sums up the advertising profession to a tee.

LOL love it!

'Tis an excellent tome.

The only thing he doesn't seem to cover is the way that money is issued, and the interest/debt question, which is (as far as I can tell) what causes the economy to become unstable if it isn't growing.

Bumping this, as it seems to be a book we should all read..... what did you think of it Ken?

I'm still only half way through it at the moment. I haven't touched it for a month or so, but that is no comment on the book.

snow hope wrote:Bumping this, as it seems to be a book we should all read..... what did you think of it Ken?

Just ordered the book through www.abebooks.co.uk

Thanks, Emord. Just ordered a copy from them too.

Slightly cheaper than DODGY TAX AVOIDERS too.

Well, a fascinating book, if a bit wordy for my liking.

He admits to offering no panacea, no 'formula' worthy of the title. Instead, he says it's meant as a 'framework' for exploration. Don't let that put you off reading it - the book really does set you thinking.

His demolition of myths such as that of 'decoupling' growth from resource consumption or pollution are enlightening and he goes on to say things like (I'm not quoting verbatim) "Physical resources are finite; human nature is impossible to alter; therefore we must concentrate on other aspects of the growth industry."

A lot of the content will be dismissed as hippy-dippy by capitalists (valuing unpaid work, redistribution of wealth, etc) but, given that capitalism doesn't work beyond a certain point - indeed, it's gearing up to fail spectacularly in a dwarf-that-dummy-run-of-2008 style - the debate really has to open up. Or else.

I suspected years ago that none of the kind of thinking in this book would bear fruit until we see true disaster, something akin to a whole minority world country being wiped out by flood or famine or some such. Tim Jackson is doing a great job but he's no chance till Gaia strikes back.

Highly recommended.

It would be great to read another PeeEsser's view of the book...

it is good

The book was a very good summation and explanation of the problems the world and British economies face and suggested the way forward but I was left feeling a bit empty of a real solution. I suppose that mirrors real life. The solution is there but is politically and socially impossible.

Conclusion - We're stuffed!!

Don't buy Xmas presents this year. Instead, send copies of this book to MPs and let your friends and relations know what you've done in all our names (well, apart from AIC, LBIII and DJ, naturally...)

Somewhat related, and a book that proposes some solutions, is the excellent Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein. You can read the first 13 chapters online. I haven't finished it yet but he gives a good overview of the bigger picture and the problems that are caused by our interest-based money system.