established economic theories. As the subtitle indicates, this book attempts to make economics and economic failures clear and understandable to the layperson. In a trip through time from Adam Smith to the 2012 election, it is a systematic critique of the plutocracy our American economic system has become, including a healthy dose of ethical theory and philosophical and religious ethics as the prism through which the reader can gain a fresh perspective on the inequities in our economic system. Bill Durland’s unique background includes degrees in History, Political Science, Philosophy and Theology and years of experience as a civil rights lawyer, community organizer and teacher, giving him the tools and credentials necessary for this undertaking. He asks the fundamental question of why our economic system rejects the ethics of participatory democracy that our religious and political systems have accepted as their guide. He suggests we consider alternative economic systems such as cooperativism or a mixed economy. A must read for anyone wishing to understand the most recent Great Recession, its causes and how similar crises might be forestalled.

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