Reviews of Economia

Geoff Davies turns his critical scientific gaze on contemporary economic orthodoxy and finds it deeply deficient. His work makes a strong case for a radical reconstruction of economic arrangements if we are to live more fruitfully and harmoniously.

– Frank Stilwell, Professor of Political Economy, University of Sydney.

Imagine a much more equal and inclusive society than we have now. It has old-fashioned family values, solid local communities, and full employment in an efficient and sustainable market economy with a debt-free money supply and no executive plunder. Impossible? Perhaps. But Geoff Davies’ project is distinguished by such commonsense, hard science, practicality, surprise, fine writing and expert contempt for orthodox economics, it’s a joy to read for visionaries and sceptics alike.

– Professor Hugh Stretton, social scientist and author of Economics, A New Introduction.

I find Davies’ arguments refreshing and convincing. They cannot be ignored. … if Davies is even half right, we, the people, must urgently modify the economic model which drives all of our financial institutions, nearly all of our current politicians and all of our public services.

– Bob Douglas, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University, and Chair of the Board ofAustralia21,  reviewing in The Canberra Times 13 March, 2004.  Download the full review (pdf, 620 kb).

Everyone now knows that economics is a pseudo-science and that economists, in the words of the late Alistair Cooke, are “varieties of necromancers”. Still, there are few books that set out clearly why modern economic theory is humbug. This remarkable book — which systematically pillories modern economic concepts, from globalism to laissez-faire economics — has been written by a senior fellow at the Australian National University whose field of expertise is geophysics.  A geophysicist writing about economics?  Well, better than an economist writing about economics.  If you are depressed whenever you hear an economic argument that common sense tells you is rubbish, then this is the book for you. Davies dissects modern economics and intellligently argues that it is possible to create a new economic system that will benefit society.  This may be utopia, but it is utopia beautifully argued.

– Bruce Elder, Sydney Morning Herald Weekend Edition, April 24-25, 2004.

Davies has been very successful in bringing a  wide range of related ideas together in an engaging and  persuasive way.  In addition his Part 7, Malign Money,  provides a lucid explanation – which I have not seen elsewhere – of how the form of money supply chosen  influences economic behaviour and social development – and  of the damage caused by the neo-classical choice of monetary  mechanisms.

– Change Management Monitor.  Full review here;  commentary comparing and contrasting Economia with Fritjof Capra’s The Hidden Connections download (pdf, 88 kb).

. . . wonderfully  readable and easily the most inspiring critique I have  seen of the legalised robbery which passes for economic productivity these days.

– Brian Jenkins, Citizen’s Voice, June 2004.  Full review.

. . . one of the best analyses of the sustainability problem that I have  so far encountered. . . The reader is taken on a journey of discovery that revolves around an excellent critique of  economics, counterpoised against truly amazing insights into how all of life has self-organised from the  simple origins of life through to the current complexity of the biosphere.  . . . its lucid analysis from a systems perspective provides an excellent insight to . . .the often overlooked systemic role of the current financial system in  driving unsustainability.

– Richard Sanders, CSIRO Sustainability Network Update 41E (pdf download, 464 kb).  Full review.

For all its apparent logic and orderliness neoliberal economics is also deeply irrational, as Geoff Davies lucidly illustrates in his immensely readable Economia (ABC Books, 2004). . . .  Davies, like many others is turning to an ecological model to explain our economic behaviour and its impact on the quality of our lives and on the planet.

–  Keith Gallasch, RealTime magazine, June/July 2004:  The arts, ecologically.  Full article.