Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay

In recent years, unchecked economic growth in the Western world has led to resource depletion and widespread environmental degradation. Life, Money & Illusion was inspired by the dilemma of having an economic structure that has to grow to remain healthy while facing the necessity of reducing our footprint and establishing a stable state economy to secure ecological viability on a finite planet.

The book launches a review of economic expansion. It examines how growth came to be a goal and how that goal, though once hugely beneficial, is now the propellant for catastrophe. Then, by showing how the economy can be restructured to remain within planetary limits, it points the way to a sustainable future.

Life, Money & Illusion advocates change by shifting the dominant economic paradigm from growth to sustainability. Techniques include:

• Measuring well-being through genuine progress
• Encouraging sustainable investment
• Practical changes such as tax shifting, carbon taxes, and monetary reform
• Honoring the Golden Rule instead of the Rule of Gold

An engaging and empowering vision of the future that celebrates humanity's extraordinary ability to adapt and evolve, Life, Money & Illusion will appeal to social activists, environmentalists, and all those who are committed to a sustainable future.

Mike Nickerson is a longtime environmental activist, popular educator, and the author of three books on sustainability, including Bakavi: Change the World I Want to Stay On. He is a founding member of the Green Party of Canada and helped draft the Canada Well-Being Measurement Act. He lives in Lanark, Ontario.