Mr. Johnson's thesis can be summarized without much difficulty: after generations of extravagant and reckless industrial expansion, we are clearly entering an age of economic scarcity. While human demands continue to rise, natural resources, especially the non-renewable kind, become harder to find and more expensive to extract, process, transport and distribute. This simple brute fact is the basic cause of inflation, despite the inability of most professional economists to see it. (The "dismal science" has never been more ...
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Mr. Johnson's thesis can be summarized without much difficulty: after generations of extravagant and reckless industrial expansion, we are clearly entering an age of economic scarcity. While human demands continue to rise, natural resources, especially the non-renewable kind, become harder to find and more expensive to extract, process, transport and distribute. This simple brute fact is the basic cause of inflation, despite the inability of most professional economists to see it. (The "dismal science" has never been more dismally obtuse than it is today.) The law of diminishing returns is coming into effect. Technological developments can delay the process but not halt or reverse it; nor can we rely on government or big business to save us. Planning for further growth delays the adjustments that must be made, makes a fair sharing of necessary sacrifices more troublesome, and if carried too far will make more severe and painful, because rapid, the inevitable decline of the international economic machine. The best way to deal with the end of affluence is to accept it--not fight it--and to begin, here and now, the unavoidable adaptations, on an individual, family, and community basis. Piecemeal, experimental, and muddling.
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Seller's Description:
VeryGood w some underline on first few pages else unmarked, remainder mark on lower edge. Deals with the American future in an age of shrinking resources. Bright tight copy. 252 pp.
This is the most succinct and sensible work I've read lately on how the world will adapt to the coming changes from Peak Oil and Climate Change. Johnson argues that the grand plans and large movements are contrary to the way things get done. People don't adopt radically new directions or approaches easily. He suggests that no matter how grave the picture the "experts" paint, humanity will adapt incrementally based on the best experiences of small groups as they deal with life as it comes. Johnson refers to an essay by Charles Lindbloom called "The Science of Muddling Through". Lindbloom's work is a study of real managers and administrators and establishes that most decisions are in the nature of coping rather than logical rational planning ... muddling through. This is an easy book to read and has a great deal of useful insight.
