Far too much commentary and social and economic action - even at this late date - touts "sustainable solutions" to the problems of exponential growth, but never questions why unrestrained growth is even necessary - or "sustainable", for that matter - in the first place. This book makes it perfectly clear that there is nothing "sustainable" about endless growth (mainly of the world population and economies, but also of the polluting effects of same), and gives good reasoning just why this is so - and this was in 1972! The world events of the last 40+ years have only provided more evidence of the effects of the poor choices made by humanity over the recent generations. By becoming familiar with the "feedback loops" described and studied by these scholars, we are shown that rapid, unfettered changes - which I observe as being heavily proselytized by the acolytes of "free markets" and the massive, filthy profits they generate for a few, but are also eagerly lapped up by mindless consumers - is most likely to lead to the collapse of (what) civilization (we have left), rather than to the deluded consumerist nirvana about which capitalist societies fantasize in the extreme. The authors outline, in very basic terms, that a long line of quickly succeeding changes, both environmental and social, which are not properly assimilated by humanity as a whole, precariously reduce the delay time needed to account for and judge the effects of each change, and thus (as both the authors and I have separately observed in our own ways) can very well become the agencies by which humans may destroy the very world environment, both natural and social, that they depend upon.
I regret I have not read this text until just these last few months, but it is nonetheless evident that it should be required reading for anyone seeking awareness and motivation to help guide the course of the human race in a truly "human" direction. And even more stringently required reading to educate those at the levers of economic and government influence and power. Additional note: I have finished reading "Limits to Growth" and am diving right into the 2nd followup volume ("Limits to Growth - 30 year review" [pub'd 2002 - 2004]; the 20-year review in 1992 was titled "Beyond the Limits"), to see how the inputs to the world models originally created in 1972 have been updated. Not looking too good, folks.
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Philip I Clayton
A fantastic, relevant book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 3, 2018
