Enough Is Enough: Sustainability in Business

There is a dark side to economic growth. The relentless pursuit of "more" has ushered in some of humanity's greatest advances, but a toll has been exacted from the environment and the citizens of the globe. In Enough Is Enough, Rob Dietz and Dan O'Neill issue a rally cry for a new economy and a new reality. They advocate a transition to a "steady-state economy," where exponential growth and resource exploitation surrenders to lives lived within ecological and social limits. In this brave new world, gross domestic product (GDP) measurements and the mania of the stock market are replaced by the codification of human ideas such as happiness, comfort, contentment, and peace. Lifestyles must downshift, the environment must be properly cared for, and social inequality must be redirected toward oblivion.

Economic growth has outstripped humanity's ecological limits. The key to a better future lies in a systemic transition to a "steady-state" economy. In Enough Is Enough, Rob Dietz and Dan O'Neill build a blueprint for such an economy, lacing their arguments with optimism tempered by a palpable sense of urgency.

• The pursuit of "more" is jeopardizing humanity's future. The exponential growth of economic activity is destroying the biosphere and fostering a host of social ills.

• An "economy of enough" can save the planet and rectify systemic societal problems. Economic models that do away with the growth imperative can reverse environmental degradation and foster better standards of living, cultural advancement, and greater human happiness.

• In order to establish an economy of enough, a number of significant changes need to take place. A steady-state economy demands limits on resource use, a stable population, fair wealth distribution, reformed financial systems, new definitions of progress, meaningful employment, and a change in the way commerce is conducted

• An economy of enough must make its case in the court of public opinion. Changing consumer mentality and behavioral excess requires engagement from the classroom, the editorial page, and the voting booth.

• This type of economy can be realized, but the time for action is now. The current trajectory of the global economy is unsustainable. A brave new world requires a brave new game plan.

Enough Is Enough by Rob Dietz and Dan O'Neill provides a scathing critique of economic excess, linking the pursuit of "more" to environmental degradation and a host of social ills. It functions as a blueprint for a just, verdant society, provides a comprehensive overview of the fight for a sustainable future, and offers a variety of different ideas and initiatives to begin the transition to a steady-state economy. Key points are supplemented by charts, illustrations, graphs, and extensive reference, notes, and index sections. The book is ideal for politicians, economists, or anyone interested in sustainable economic theory and ecologically friendly development. The chapters are sequential, so the book is best read from cover to cover.