Read more
What if our economy was built on kindness and cooperation instead selfishness and competition?
In this bold and forward-looking book, Guy Dauncey argues that the crises we face from climate collapse to inequality and social division are symptoms of economic systems designed to reward domination and capital gain. Blending anthropology, history, economics, and policy, he offers detailed, practical solutions across housing, work, banking, democracy, climate, and community. From public banks and cooperative housing to regenerative farming and global governance reform, this book sets out to enable systemic transformation.
This book proposes a powerful alternative to present-day options: the economics of kindness. Combining years of research into alternative systems and approaches, the book presents a new ecological social alternative one focused on building structural kindness instead of one dependent on humans acting kindly.
List of contents
Part One: The Economics of Kindness.- Chapter 1: The Great Mistake.- Chapter 2: The Selfishness of the Impulse to Dominate.- Chapter 3: The Selfishness of Neoclassical Economics.- Chapter 4: The Selfishness of Neoliberal Capitalism.- Chapter 5: The Selfishness of Everyday Life.- Chapter 6: A New Paradigm.- Chapter 7: A New Story.- Chapter 8: The Pioneers.- Part 2: Practice.- Chapter 9: Kindness in Business.- Chapter 10: Kindness in Community.- Chapter 11: Kindness in Housing.- Chapter 12: Kindness at Work.- Chapter 13: Kindness in Response to the Climate Crisis.- Chapter 14: Kindness to Nature.- Chapter 15: Kindness for Farmlands, Forests, and Oceans.- Chapter 16: Kindness in Banking and Finance.- Chapter 17: Kindness in Tackling Inflation.- Chapter 18: Kindness without Domination.- Chapter 19: Kindness in Education.- Chapter 20: Kindness in Welfare.- Chapter 21: Kindness through a New Social Contract.- Chapter 22: Kindness in Taxation.- Chapter 23: Kindness through Democracy.- Chapter 24: Kindness through Good Governance.- Chapter 25: Kindness in the Global South.- Chapter 26: Kindness in the Global Economy.- Chapter 27: Circle of Hope.
About the author
Guy Dauncey works to develop a positive vision of a fair, green future, and to translate that vision into action. He lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. He is co-founder of the West Coast Climate Action Network, the BC Sustainable Energy Association, the Victoria Car Share Cooperative, and the charity Prevent Cancer Now. He is the author or co-author of eleven books, including Cancer, The ClimateChallenge, and Journey to the Future. Dauncey is a fellow of the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, Honorary Member of the Planning Institute of BC, and Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts in the UK. In 2025 he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation medal for community service.
Summary
What if our economy was built on kindness and cooperation instead selfishness and competition?
In this bold and forward-looking book, Guy Dauncey argues that the crises we face—from climate collapse to inequality and social division—are symptoms of economic systems designed to reward domination and capital gain. Blending anthropology, history, economics, and policy, he offers detailed, practical solutions across housing, work, banking, democracy, climate, and community. From public banks and cooperative housing to regenerative farming and global governance reform, this book sets out to enable systemic transformation.
This book proposes a powerful alternative to present-day options: the economics of kindness. Combining years of research into alternative systems and approaches, the book presents a new ecological social alternative—one focused on building structural kindness instead of one dependent on humans acting kindly.
