Enough Is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources Paperback – January 7, 2013

I loved the study of economics in undergrad a little over 5 years ago. It has given me a mental framework from which to quickly analyze market dynamics and thrive in the world of finance and startups. But where were the concepts of energy and social impacts? Getting top marks in these courses had an unintended consequence of perceived mastery rather than questioning the status quo.Better late than never, in the process of learning about sustainable agriculture, I found Rob's book. It is a masterful compilation of views that incorporate everything we should be teaching students in economics today.In a world with unsustainable energy consumption approaching real constraints that will reduce the quality of life, we cannot continue to follow the growth at all costs model we live in today. It's not a question of IF our current exponential growth economy will fail, it is WHEN.People are waking up to this reality every day, and we need more of them. We need everyone to read this book and apply it to their daily life and reinvent themselves to pursue careers that will thrive in an economy without exponential growth. It is better to prepare for that economy now, then ignore it's inevitability and be caught off guard.This book will open up your eyes to a realistic future, one that is full of obstacles and difficulties. But also one full of opportunity for those that approach it with optimism. Rob offers here the knowledge needed to understand the world we live in as well as solutions for how to live in it. Everyone should read this book and then reflect on what they can do to succeed moving forward and improve the world we live in.

In line with recent works such as Richard Heinberg's End of Growth and Plan B by Lester Brown. Enough lays out why our current economic system is failing and what we must do to shift gears away from a consumption based economy with profit and increasing GDP the primary drivers. For those who believe economics is a science, that the only debate is between government spending and regulations and growth is good, this is a must read. If you have read the writings of Herman Daly, Josh Farley or any of the CASSE writers, you probably have a good grasp of the issues and the book won't add much but does tie together many concepts.

Pursuing endless economic growth to provide badly needed jobs and "prosperity" in a finite space, our planet, is irrational and can only lead to disaster. Some clear simple thinking will show us this has to be true, however this point has not gotten across the vast majorities for people, our leaders, and the media. We are already well past the point of sustainability, yet business, governments, and conventional thinking call for more growth. In "Enough Is Enough" Rob Dietz and Dan O'Neill not only give us an overview of what is going on and where that is taking us, but suggest a way out.There is a plethora of information out there in books and articles, if only people would read them, describing the problems we face, however causes are too often overlooked. This book examines the whole picture, what is happening, and what lies behind the obvious--our push for growth in every way, more people, more energy,, and more stuff. Recognizing the obvious fact that the world's most affluent will have to cut back, and that emerging nations will have to restrain their desires, Dietz and O'Neill referred to studies showing that when one has enough, one does not need more to lead a satisfactory life. In fact, as many of our greatest thinkers have shown us, we would do far better by finding satisfaction in spiritual and cultural pursuits. This is a wonderful book. Instead of heading for a crash, our world would become a better place if everyone would read it and take it seriously.

While all of the points the authors make are on target and definitely important, I thought it was very slim on truly practical methods for implementing the very crucial solutions suggested. What they suggest as solutions to our depletion of finite resources need a concerted administrative, social, and market change, and I feel that is not likely to happen any time soon.If enough people with real political and corporate power were to read this, agree with the authors' points, and then truly do something about it, then we could see a real change. But, as long as corporate and political "greed" is still around, and GDP remains the barometer of "success" in the world, it will take determined grass roots movements to get anything really started toward the solutions they suggest - and, unfortunately, people are just a bit too complacent, although they do like to complain.Important points, but not very realistic.

Being unclear about how the economy can improve, and unfamiliar with what a steady state economy would actually look like, I found this book to offer many explicit suggestions that hold promise to improve our health and well-being. The authors make a strong case, in an enjoyable and easy-to-understand language, that the transition to a steady state economy can enhance the lives of people and the planet that supports us. I'd recommend the book to anyone dissatisfied with government and the current economic system. For those who teach, I see the book as a great discussion tool for a variety of fields, including economics, business management, public health, and the natural sciences.

Enough is Enough provides an eminently clear, insightful analysis of the issues facing the American and world economy. The book is so well written, I could hardly put it down. It's like a mystery: will the people (and governments) recognize the danger in time to change direction and not go over the cliff? Recognizing the enormity of the challenge, the authors propose clear, realistic steps that could be taken to prolong human life on this planet. The current attitude of more and more offers little hope. Enough is Enough is an alarming but hopeful contribution to the search for sustainability.

Das Buch ist ein wirklich sehr guter und unterhaltsamer Beitrag zum Thema Post-Wachstums-Ökonomie / Gesellschaft. Im Gegensatz zu den eher langweiligen und langatmigen Beiträgen anderer Autoren, gelingt es Dietz und O'Neill mit ihren vielen kleinen Stories und Anektoden, die Leserschaft zu fesseln und das doch sehr schwierige Thema relativ anschaulich und unterhaltsam rüber zu bringen. Ich habe das Buch sehr gerne gelesen und die darin vertretenen Thesen haben mich auch überzeugt. Super auch die graphischen Darstellungen und Cartoons! Unbedingt lesen, definitiv eines der besten Bücher zu diesem Thema

I have to confess to a certain bias in writing this review. One of the authors is my son. Nonetheless, the clarity of economic analysis presented in Enough is Enough and the depth and breadth of economic, social and psychological research supporting the analysis are outstanding. The authors’ thesis is so simple and yet so profoundly accessible, that we do not need more than “enough”. That we destroy the sustainable foundations of civilization when we seek more than enough is the negative corollary to the guarded, but essentially optimistic, view of the authors, that the future of the planet is not all doom and gloom, if we can only learn to live with “enough.”

Ya había leído la versión anterior a este libro en la web de Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE [...]) y me pareció que daba en clavo en cuanto a diagnóstico - la parte fácil - pero sobre todo en cuanto a soluciones - la parte difícil. Excelente y muy recomendable.I had already read the previous version on the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE [...]) and I believe it hits the mark as far as diagnostics - the easy part - but above all on solutions - the tough part. Excellent and highly recommendable.

J'ai beaucoup aime ce livre. L'approche en 3 parties pour chaque problème est très bien. La synthèse sous forme de bâtiment avec fondation, pilliers et toît est élégante et pertinente.

Ein gutes Buch als Einstieg in dieses Thema. Dennoch muss ich mir immer noch die Frage stellen:Verbrauchen wir wirklich zu viele Ressourcen oder sind wir einfach bereits zu viele Menschen auf diesem Planeten?Meiner Meinung lassen sich fast alle in dem Buch behandelten Kapitel auf eine einzige Ursache reduzieren - Überbevölkerung.