For the first time, Jeffrey Sachs, the pre-eminent economist of our times, turns his attention to his homeland, the United States, to reveal the stunning inadequacy of American-style capitalism and to offer a bold and ambitious plan to change it.

Jeffrey Sachs has visited more than a hundred countries on five continents, invited to help diagnose and cure seemingly intractable economic problems. Now, in the wake of the worst recession in recent history, Sachs turns his focus on the United States. The complexity of the world economy means that the American form of capitalism, which has been exported around the globe, brought the world to the brink of the precipice--and it will do so again, if measures aren't taken to fix it. This will require not only government action but for US citizens to reach a consensus on their government's role in everyday life and on their basic values--hugely controversial issues in recent years.

The scary thing is if they don't, it will affect us all. The good news is that Sachs, in this book, clearly and persuasively leads his readers to an understanding of what the common ground of reform can and should--indeed, must--be.


From the Hardcover edition.

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New York Times Bestseller
 
“The ideas in the book have a hook you won’t forget.... In Jeff’s hands, the millstone of opportunity around our necks becomes an adventure, something doable and achievable.”
—Bono
 
“A useful contribution to the conversation we must have in order to make informed political choices in the years ahead.”
—The Wall Street Journal
 
“An important assessment of what ails America, and a must-read for policymakers.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“This is the latest in a spate of books provoked by the world economic crisis and one of the best.... He is a fine economist and statistician, and if you want to stockpile facts and arguments for radical advocacy, this is the book for you.”
—The Guardian
 
“An important book.... The sheer sweep of his analysis...flouts the boundaries of economics to encompass politics, psychology and moral philosophy.”
—Financial Times

“The author’s straightforward exposition, buttressed by a wealth of revealing tables and charts, sharply rebuts reigning free market orthodoxies and makes a compelling case for an activist state that redistributes wealth and makes life fairer and more productive for everyone. . . . His stimulating, staunchly progressive take on America’s dysfunctions is a must-read for every concerned citizen.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for Jeffrey Sachs:
"Jeffrey Sachs is that rare phenomenon: an academic economist famous for his theories about why some countries are poor and others rich, and also famous for his successful practical work in helping poor countries become richer."
— Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse

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JEFFREY D. SACHS is the Director of The Earth Institute and professor of health policy and management at Columbia University. He is also special advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. From 2002-2006, he was Director of the UN Millennium Project, which set global goals to reduce extreme poverty, disease and hunger by 2015. He was among TIME's 100 most influential leaders in 2004 and 2005. He is the author of many books and articles, including Common Wealth and The End of Poverty, both of which were international bestsellers. He is one of the leading voices calling for economic development that is in line with environmental sustainabilty.


From the Hardcover edition.

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