Turning point: The end of the growth paradigm: The end of the growth paradigm

Author: Robert Alvis
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: Traditional measures of wealth, such as GDP and GNP indexes, insist that we are steadily moving toward greater prosperity. However, evidence shows that the benefits of economic growth and free trade are now shared by only a small portion of the global population, while the failure of economic structures is pushing most people in industrialized nations into increasingly difficult circumstances. The values people prioritize—health, education, personal safety—are under immense pressure, and the traditional model of economic growth poses a severe challenge to the planet's environmental capacity. The author of this book argues that the fundamental structure of the global economy is inherently unable to provide social welfare for the majority. He analyzes the symptoms and causes of economic malaise, as well as the flaws of many deeply entrenched orthodox economic views. He further proposes a radical restructuring of economic activity, emphasizing service rather than product, as the path to a sustainable future. As a seminal work by one of the most renowned and innovative critics of neoclassical economics, this book is worth reading for economists, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the development of society and the economy.