Are we worthy?

摘要

Before 2008, "next economy" books were a dime a dozen. They've been thin on the ground lately, but John Thackara has just published one of a decidedly different bent. An incessant traveller, thoughtful listener and the former "symposiarch" of the legendary Doors of Perception events of the 1990s, Thackara is a beloved figure in sustainable-design circles. A guru of labs and think tanks worldwide, he is painfully aware of the crises facing the world in 2015. Most new-economics gurus would crassly motivate their readers to get rich quick online. By contrast, in How to Thrive in the Next Economy, Thackara tackles our planet's most basic survival topics - preserving soil from erosion, supplying clean water and keeping people sheltered, fed, healthy and mobile. There's a light dusting of digital here, but for the most part, the author sternly confronts every major environmental issue that has worsened in his lifetime.