The Wealth of Nature

[ecosophia]

I'm delighted to announce that the print edition my book on ecological economics, The Wealth of Nature, is now availabl4e despite a flurry of production delays. (It's not just toilet paper that's had shortages.)  The publisher, Founders House, has had to move operations to a new printer and make new arrangements for sales and shipping. The new page for ordering copies of The Wealth of Nature is here, and the Founders House online store can be found here; it's still under construction at this time.  (Most of my Founders House titles can also be ordered from my Bookshop store here.)

As for The Wealth of Nature itself, here's the blurb: 

"The Wealth of Nature proposes a new model of economics based on the integral value of ecology. Building on the foundations of E.F. Schumacher's revolutionary "economics as if people mattered", this book examines the true cost of confusing money with wealth. By analyzing the mistakes of contemporary economics, it shows how an economy centered on natural capital—the ecological cycles that support human life—can move our society toward a more productive relationship with the planet that sustains us all.  Profoundly insightful and impeccably argued, this book is required reading for anyone interested in the intersection of the environment and the economy as we enter the twilight of the Age of Abundance."

As the Age of Abundance vanishes in the rearview mirror, and the Age of Empty Store Shelves replaces it, this book seems morre than usually relevant! 

Comments

[stcathalexandria]

I received my copy in the mail on Monday. Very excited to read it. Your interview on Hermitix podcast was the push I needed to hit the buy button.

[ecosophia]

Glad to hear it. Shaun's been working overtime to get the latest round of problems straightened up.

[jprussell]

Just finished reading my pre-ordered copy last night. Extremely useful intellectual framework for resolving some issues I had had, and a few I didn't realize I had, with the economic side of the things you write about. The Long Descent and Dark Age America were plausible, but I didn't quite have the nuts and bolts I needed for why economics will not save us when it comes to energy issues. I feel like I have much more thorough grounding in economics and the way the world is going than I did, which is great, but that also means I'm a hell of a lot more concerned than I was about things in the next few years/decades.

So, I suppose I'm in the awkward position of thanking you for scaring me silly. Thanks for writing this and getting a new edition out!

[ecosophia]

You're most welcome. I figured Schumacher's ideas needed more attention and a few minor tweaks, and this book was my way of doing it.

[(Anonymous)]

Glad to see this back in print! Is there also a revised edition of After Progress in the works?

[ecosophia]

Yes. It's the next one scheduled for reprinting, and The Retro Future will be out after that.

[deng]

Looking forward to these. Thank you.

[avalterra]

I already have my copy and I am half way through it. I have to say I am getting a lot more out of it after reading your blog posts that strike near the same subject.

Congratulations on the Publication!

[(Anonymous)]

Just went to order it and looking forward to the read. Time to order more of your books, as I've only read a few but loved everything. Looking forward to catching up and filling in the gaps.

[deng]

Congrats again to the hardest working man on the internet!

Delays and shortages

[team10tim]

Hey hey JMG,

I bought this a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I have two questions. One, what has changed from the previous edition? Two, can you talk about the delays and shortages from an ecosophian perspective?

Thanks,
Tim

Re: Delays and shortages

[ecosophia]

I did a few updates and cleaned up some of the prose, but the differences are modest. As far as the delays and shortages, the just-in-time economy has become the not-in-time economy. That's always what happens when someone has the classic dumb idea of cutting costs by decreasing resilience and redundancy. The question is purely whether it'll be fixed in time before it causes permanent damage to the economy.

[(Anonymous)]

Ordered mine the 6th. Looking forward to it.

Say - speaking of economics, are you still collecting reports from the field on current conditions?

Rhydlyd

[ecosophia]

Yes, on my monthly open posts.

[illyria2001]

Just got this today...looking forward to reading it.

[avalterra]

Illyria,

One of my favorite character! She was very "Lovecraftian."

AV

[(Anonymous)]

O think it will be very interesting for reading it.

Our Finite World

[deng]

Gail's article below is about energy limits and ends with a small interesting speculation about covid.

Gail Tverberg latest from Nov. 10
https://ourfiniteworld.com/2021/11/10/our-fossil-fuel-energy-predicament-including-why-the-correct-story-is-rarely-told/

The transcript of the entire talk by Rear Admiral Hyman Rickover given in 1957.
https://ourfiniteworld.com/2007/07/02/speech-from-1957-predicting-peak-oil/

Gail's talk in PDF to share if inclined.
https://ourfiniteworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Gail-Tverberg-Our-Fossil-Fuel-Energy-Predicament-Nov-9.pdf

Looking forward to re-reading it

[dishwasher0101]

The bookshop informed me that my copy is in. I was foolish enough to mislay my previous copy by loaning it out once too often, really looking forward to reviewing this text as it is a favourite.

was told there was a delay

[chaosadventurer]

I got an email from Shaun on Nov 1st that there was a delay, so hopefully it is cleared and I'll be seeing my copy soon. looking forward to reading it.

[deathcap]

I'm gradually reading it now and it's just fantastic! A lot of it is ideas I've already sort of latched onto, either from others or from reading your blogs for a decade (wow has it been that long?). But I'm also not that far into it. Excellent prose, as always.

The Wealth of Nature

[(Anonymous)]

About 20% into this fascinating economic analysis in kindle format, I decided I need hard copy, so this reprint is appreciated. The Wealth of Nature offers a broad view of economics, unlike the way economics is often taught. And thought. For instance, the idea of superstition in economics seems related to behavioral economics, which has overthrown the assertion that people behave rationally in relation to their finances. (Any effective sales person could have revealed that to economists long ago.)
Some things have changed since the book was published, in 2011. The problem of peak oil was delayed by fracking, although we could have a debate about the way the price of oil was kept low by creative accounting in the fracking industry. Hmm. Who will pay for that in the long run, as those companies go bankrupt? Then, the fall in the cost of renewable electricity has changed the energy landscape.
A second unexpected change is Modern Monetary Theory, which looks at debt in a different light.
These changes do not change the thought provokingness of the text. I wonder what will happen next. And fuck Milton Friedman

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, John Michael...

As you often say, many thanks for this.

I already own a copy of *The Wealth of Nature*, the one with the 'natural abacus' on the front cover. Is this effectively a reprint of that book, or something akin to a second edition with new material?

I may wind up buying the book again anyway, because it's a worthwhile thing to give away often to people who will read it. But it would be good to know if I should read the old or new copy before I go passing it on.

[ecosophia]

This is a slightly updated reprint. The basic arguments haven't changed at all -- I just adjusted some references that had become dated.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm glad you're issuing updated versions of all of these. I've been rereading them, and have been struck by a certain feeling of "all right, that's the ABC's of this, got it, but something more is needed now." What more? You tell me. Because these are still times of strangeness in the crawlspaces under a paper-thin veneer of business as usual and "when things get back to normal."

Data point from Florida: Governor de Santis and Texas governor Greg Abbott are thinking of a presidential run, and if you believe the 3-page article in the Gainesville Sun (forthcoming as soon as I have time to get it in the mail with my hastily scribbled notes), both have been reduced to what's as easily recognizable as the mandatory boilerplate of the right, as the boilerplate of the left we're all fed up with. I don't think there will be any more surprises coming from our governor, who, IIRC, once specialized in them. Most of it is Culture Wars & mask mandates, making it harder to vote in states that carried Trump by a near-landslide (then, why?) and unneeded election audits backed by a threat from a Trump supporter to run against DeSantis if he didn't comply...and of course, a large helping of Border Wall and cracking down on the border. Which seems to be independent of its effects on American workers, from the rhetoric or lack thereof, because the country club Republicans seems to be backing it as well. Or at least, nobody is talking about the wage classes in all this.

Just my $0.02, but the thin veneer of BUI on both sides of the fence feels toxic and slimy as well as thin.

Mint (mint-green) Slithy Cow.

[ecosophia]

Keep in mind that the GOP boilerplate is how you build an effective pre-primary campaign, especially if you want to convince the political establishment that you aren't another loose cannon like Trump!

[(Anonymous)]

OK. So - don't bother to send?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm just about done with a reread of it as we speak! Always worth the time.

In fact, while sitting around having coffee/tea this morning, the family and I got onto the subject of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics - wonder where that idea came from??

Congrats on the re-release!
Grover

[deng]

I'd like Kristi Noem SD for president as my first choice. She was the first and strongest against the vax charade. I believe she is very sincere. Smart and strong willed. Independent minded. Stick it to the dems for first female president being a republican. Add any of the other antivax republicans for VP as required for electoral votes. Rand Paul first. Gabbard would be great but doesn't help electorally. No RINO's!

Off topic but introduced above...

I have an extra copy

[(Anonymous)]

I got two copies instead of the one I wanted, so if the extra one needs to go to someone else, let me know.
Otherwise, I will keep it until a good opportunity to gift it arises.

- Cicada Grove