Get a Life!
How to make a good buck dance around the dinosaurs and save the world while you're at it
Roberts, Wayne; Brandum, Susan Publisher: Get A Life Publishing House, Toronto, Canada
Year Published: 1995
Pages: 344pp ISBN: 0-9697755-1-2
Library of Congress Number: HC120.E79R63 Dewey: 363.7'058
Resource Type: Book
Simultaneoulsy a textbook on new careers and lifestyles for aspiring entrepreneurs and a strategy for social, economic and environmental renewal.
Abstract: In this second edition of How to Make a Good Buck, Dance Around the Dinosaurs and Save the World while You're At It! Roberts and Brandon provide their readers with two things: a textbook on new careers and lifestyles for aspiring entrepreneurs and an exciting strategy for social, economic and environmental renewal.
Their approach departs from conventional business policy decisions based on cutbacks and deregulation with a new paradigm that prioritizes social justice without compromising success. The book provides excellent ideas for community development and ecological restoration with examples of 101 ready to go projects which foreshadow a citizen-led economic recovery in the future and the evidence of entrepreneurial breakthroughs. These neighborhood based projects work with nature, compact technologies and smart systems that tap into community economies, social justice and environmental protection.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the unique and varied methods for various projects describing them as an emerging trend called "fourth wave" industrialism. Thereafter, each chapter is organized according to the 10 trend setting principles that guide economic leaders today. These principles are as follows: Nature's Call, Cheap is Beautiful, The Far Side, Golden Means, An Ounce of Prevention, Born Free, Shining Examples, Home Delivery, Easy Does it and What a Wonderful Life. In each chapter the authors provide two examples to explain the application of the principle, accompanied by a list of projects to encourage economic growth through these means and to advocate for people to expand upon these successes.
The editors comment how each of the businesses mentioned in their book share a common social-psychological profile: a go-getter, optimistic and capable attitude that refutes limitations; such as resource constraints, a lack of funding or resistance from bureaucratic structures. Furthermore, this innovative sector of the business world shares common business and social skills. For example many of these businesses have alternative production and service systems online and rely on government subsidies to operate. The authors encourage readers and people who have used their strategies to contact them with their stories in order for them to further enrich this philosophy of sustainable business. Overall, to make responsible economy work, one needs to be willing to take risks and let the "mess of progress" develop before a well functioning system is consolidated, as when a new system is implemented perfection is not immediate.
[Abstract by Amanpreet Dhami]
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