Product Description

"A compelling challenge to conventional thought" New York Times In this newly updated edition of his classic text on the "economics of abundance", Galbraith lays bare the hazards of individual and social complacency about economic inequality. It is as relevant now, with the ever-widening gap between rich and poor, as when it was first published 40 years ago. Galbraith challenges why we worship work and productivity when so many of the goods we produce are superfluous, and why we grudge spending on public works while ignoring extravagance in the private sector. THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY exemplifies Galbraith's wit, clarity and eloquence of prose.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17048 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
John Kenneth Galbraith has written 30 books, spanning four decades. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Harvard, Oxford, the University of Paris and Moscow University. In 1998, he celebrated his 90th birthday. He continues to work as the Paul M Warburg Professor of Economics Emeritus at Harvard University.

Customer Reviews

A well written thought provocking economics handbook.
The affluent society is a well written critique of established economic ideas by a brilliant writer. The book written in a clear and simple language is both insightful and thought provocking.

The author started by critically appraising established economic ideas which he called "conventional wisdom". He went on to discuss the inherent flaws in accepting production as the most important goal of society. He then examined the concept of want creation, the ever inceasing problem of consumer debt, economic security, economic inequality and poverty.

The main reason why i enjoyed the book it its language and message. I have never had the priviledge of reading a better written economics book. This is a book for all. Whether you an expert, a student or someone interested in the progress of his society, you will find this book interesting and worth the effort.

Finally, the concluding remark by the author is a message i strongly identify with. He called on society to make it its goal the eradication of poverty and to control the production of weapons of mass destruction. As someone who resides in a developing country, where affluence exist side by side with extreme poverty, the goal of eradicating poverty is one which i fervently hope the leadership of my country will adopt.

Lucid and original
This book is a pleasure to read, is crammed with original ideas and accessible explanations and offers a comprehensive insight into the economic landscape which simply makes a lot of sense. It is a particular joy that Galbraith does not stop at the traditional limits of economic discourse -- whenever he needs to stray into a related subject in order to construct a complete and persuasive explanation then he does so competently and without hesitation.

However, I would also like to mention the relationship between this book and "The New Industrial State" (NIS) which Galbraith wrote some years later. The NIS clearly covers much the same ground, whilst incorporating the further development and refinement of Galbraith's thoughts over the following decade. As a result, the NIS has a broader scope and offers a more complete picture of a modern (as of 1970ish) industrial economy -- but is also a little less accessible and undoubtedly a "heavier" read. If you have read and enjoyed "The Affluent Society", then the NIS would be an excellent next step, in which the ideas presented here are refined and expanded, but "The Affluent Society" is a great place to start.

The one book that gets economics just right
There hasn't been enough structure in the arguments against free-market economics recently and we are in serious need for some. Therefore, people like myself have to settle on books like this one; and what a gem it is.

Galbraith is an economist who is untouchable in his field of work and it shows in the Affluent Society. A stunningly written piece, full of intelligent answers to questions others daren't ask. What makes his work stand out is how he makes it relevent to every aspect of society and many famous economists of the past and present.

Any right-wingers or neo-liberals who dare to bad mouth Galbraith better read this book first and come up with some good answers as to why they disagree. I have read work from all positions of the economic spectrum and still havent found a single person that can outdo Galbraith and theres not a better example of his genius than here.

His work is also very accessible to even the most novice on the subject and theres not one boring page in the book. If you are a libertarian socialist looking for answers, don't get bogged down in Marx's Capital, go for this book, or at least start with it.