Reading: Introduction and First Chapter of ‘Take Back the Economy.’

What can we, as individuals do, to seek a more just, sustainable and equitable world?

“Take Back the Economy dismantles the idea that the economy is separate from us and best comprehended by experts. Instead, the authors demonstrate that the economy is the outcome of the decisions and efforts we make every day. The economy is thus reframed as a space of ethical action – something we can shape and alter according to what is best for the well-being of people and the planet.

“The book explores what people are already doing to build ethical economies, presenting these deeds as mutual concerns: What is necessary for survival, and what do we do with the surplus produced beyond what will fulfill basic needs? What do we consume, and how do we preserve and replenish the common – those resources that can be shared to maintain all? And finally, how can we invest in a future worth living in?”

Strike Debt Bay Area hosts this economics-oriented, non-technical book discussion group, meeting approximately once a month. This month’s discussion will be about the introduction to and first chapter of ‘Take Back the Economy’ by J K Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron and Stephen Healy. We will decide at the end of the meeting whether to continue through the whole book or move on.

The book is available via online (e.g. Minnesota Press), the introduction is available via ‘Look Inside’, and a few copies exist in local libraries.

Bring your questions, comments and intellectual curiosity!

“Take Back the Economy is the single most farsighted and practical work enlightening us on the path to a steady transition toward a genuine postcapitalist world…” – Arturo Escobar, University of North Carolina