Life, Money & Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay [Paperback]

Mike Nickerson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2006

Life, Money & Illusion explores ecological economics. "Life' refers to the biological processes by which living things maintain themselves over time; "Money" to the present economic ideology that says that as long as the volume of money changing hands increases, all will be well. "Illusion" refers to the fact that these two perspectives are directly opposed in terms of how they would solve current problems. One of them must be mistaken.

Editorial Reviews

Review

When we are children, writes Nickerson, we want to grow bigger. When we reach our optimum size, we stop growing. As adults, we then look to maintain ourselves healthily. Sadly, the same is not true of our economic structure. It is designed on the assumption that continued growth is the aim, regardless of how it might be supported. Nickerson's wise and readable book approaches this theme from many angles - biology, physics, money, religion, capitalism - interwoven into a fascinating narrative of where our society has gone wrong and how it might put things right. Most inspiring is the realisation that while it took efforts of extraordinary complexity to get us to the state we are now in, moving to a sustainable society involves not harder steps, but simpler ones. The difficulty comes not in what we will have to do, but in having the courage to stop doing what we are doing now. --Jeremy Smith, The Ecologist Magazine, March 2007

". . . this is fascinating; it's an eye-opener; it grasps the essence of life and human society. In particular, it speaks in easily understood terms about people working together, trading their skills and knowledge to satisfy needs, and the importance of money in facilitating this trade. From the perspective of monetary reform, it shows how money has been used and misused, how its misuse has contributed to the concept of perpetual growth and steps we can take to change from a growth dominated society - which will eventually collapse - to a sustainable one." --Richard Priestman, President of the Kingston Chapter of the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform

"The present economic system is geared for perpetual growth. While economic growth was unquestionably a good thing for a long time, economic growth now causes more problems than it solves. "Life, Money & Illusion" helps to explain why and offers insights for establishing a sustainable, steady state economy." --Dr. Brian Czech, author of Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train

From the Inside Flap

Looking Back to the Present

Generations from now, parents will tell their children the story of our times. They will tell them about the Great Transformation; the shift that civilization made from its growth phase, which had continued since early times, to a new, mature state where the total of materials, energy and consequent waste was maintained within steady, sustainable volumes. This change had to happen. Human activity was already stretching planetary limits, and the systems were in place to fully double that activity every 20 years.
The story told about our times will be one of praise; telling how well our generation recognized the challenge and rose to meet it, or it will be a tale of great sorrow; telling how those alive today denied that it was our task to find a stable state. Whether the story the children hear is one of triumph or of sorrow depends on how soon we recognize the challenge and accept the historic responsibility.

Elizbeth May

This book is a statement of the 'challenge and the goal." Any person who resonates with the message can help. Each of us sees the world in a unique way and has the potential to reveal solutions that others have yet to grasp.

The 7th Generation Initiative, a non-profit organization, exists to accommodate the transformation. If, after you have considered the story told herein, you want to get involved, please contact us. Your vision, skills, understanding, contacts and financial support can all help to increase the chances that the seventh generation will look back to our generation with gratitude.

The 7th Generation Initiative 2799 McDonald's Corners Rd., R.R.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Seven Generations Publishing; 1st edition (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978097300
• ISBN-13: 978-0978097301
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,975,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new strategy, October 30, 2011

By 

William R. Moore (APO, AE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay (Paperback)

Being somewhat politically conservative I was not eager to read this book, but once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I have over 30 years in the military and have worked in several developing nations and have seen and experienced things again and again that challenged the conventional wisdom about our system's short commings. While I didn't agree with all of Mike's points, I agreed with at 90% of them. I would even go so far to add that it would be wise for the U.S. military and State Department to adapt many of his ideas as a core part of our strategy for the future. To continue on our current path is simply foolish, and most people are aware of that, but they (we) weren't aware of options prior to reading to this book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pick for business, economics, and social issues libraries alike, December 15, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay (Paperback)

LIFE, MONEY AND ILLUSION: LIVING ON EARTH AS IF WE WANT TO STAY is a pick for business, economics, and social issues libraries alike, providing an updated edition inspired by the realities of living on a finite planet with an economic structure wired for growth. It considers the impact and detriments of this objective, analyzing how the economy can be restructured to remain within planetary limits, and provides a powerful series of arguments against our current economic structure and objectives.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful look at Earth's future, April 4, 2010

By 

Pamela Robinson (Long Island) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay (Paperback)

Mindless growth, proceeding without regard to the consequences to the planet, comes in for scrutiny in "Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay." What author Mike Nickerson lays out as an alternative is a rethinking of priorities, new policies and a general restructuring that preserves the Earth's health but still provides for its human and other inhabitants. These are not simple changes, like deciding to recycle; these are significant changes in thinking, tax codes, and political, economic and social policies. The book is intended for anyone concerned about the future of the planet and wondering what needs to be done to keep it healthy well into the future.