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In this passionate and powerful book - part manifesto, part plan of action - the renowned economist Jeffrey D. Sachs offers a practical strategy to move America, seemingly more divided than ever, toward a new consensus: sustainable development. Sustainable development is a holistic approach that emphasizes economic, social, and environmental objectives in shaping policy. In focusing too much on economic growth, the United States has neglected rising economic inequality and dire environmental threats. Now, even growth is imperiled.
List of contents
Foreword, by Bernie Sanders
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Why We Need to Build a New American Economy
2. Investment, Saving, and U.S. Long-Term Growth
3. Decoding the Federal Budget
4. Sustainable Infrastructure After the Automobile Age
5. Facing Up to Income Inequality
6. Smart Machines and the Future of Jobs
7. The Truth About Trade
8. Disparities and High Costs Fuel the Health Care Crisis
9. A Smart Energy Policy for the United States
10. From Guns to Butter
11. Investing for Innovation
12. Toward a New Kind of Politics
13. Restoring Trust in American Governance
14. Prosperity in Sustainability
Suggested Further Readings
Notes
About the author
Jeffrey D. Sachs is University Professor at Columbia University and serves as Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and professor of health policy and management at Columbia University. He is a
New York Times best-selling author, and his books include
The End of Poverty (2005),
Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2008),
The Price of Civilization (2011),
To Move the World: JFK's Quest for Peace (2013), and
The Age of Sustainable Development (Columbia University Press, 2015).
Summary
Jeffrey D. Sachs shows how the United States can find a path to renewed economic progress that is fair and environmentally sustainable. Sachs explores issues including infrastructure, trade deals, energy policy, and income inequality, providing illuminating and accessible explanations of the forces at work and specific policy solutions.
Report
"My father famously declared that GDP "measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile." Jeffrey Sachs presents an economic vision beyond GDP, one that is based on compassion and sustainability, and that aligns with the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals. This is a roadmap for America's future economic strategy." Kerry Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
