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
Cx Number: CX7149
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]
Table of Contents
Introduction Ready When You Are
Overview Buddy Can You Paradigm?
The Fourth Wave and How to Surf It
Principle 1 Nature's Call
Heeds the call of the wild by designing technologies and organizations that evolve in harmony with both the simplicity and the "chaos" of natural systems
The Great Indoors
Working The High End
Your Swamp Or Mine
An Apple A Day
Over-The-Counter Foods
Farmaceuticals
Labor-Savers
Laying On Of Hands
Eco Stations
Green Collar Workers
Principle 2 Cheap is Beautiful
Features the saving graces of "soft path" strategies that simplify and enrich lifestyles by doing more with less
No Money Down
Tax Relief
Hidden Profit Centres
The Road Less Traveled
Living Off The Interest
Build It And They Won't Come
Plenty Of Nothing
Workers Of The World, Relax
Keeping Your Head Above Water
Old Growth
Trading Up
Leave It To Beavers
Principle 3 The Far Side
Presents "elegant" design methods which outperform linear economies of scale with lateral "economies of scope" by meeting many goals through one action
The Zen Of Housing
Bargain Basement Cooling
Smile, You're On Candid Camera
School Bell Curve
Re-Inventing Taxes
Principle 4 Golden Means
Uses "supply side management" to go with the flow of entropy, making the ends justify the means, thereby shedding resources, not jobs
Triple Duty
Perennial Optimists
Pulp Fiction
The Grass Is Greener
Call Of The Wild
Where The Buffalo Roam
Soul Food
Cold Warriors
Atlas Shrunked
Principle 5 An Ounce of Prevention
Aims for management by results, and shows how investing in "avoided costs" and "demand-side man-agement" can finance social and economic renewal
Protection Money
Jobs Unlimited
Give Peace A Chance
Fat Is A Feminist Issue
The Sky's The Limit
Principle 6 Born Free
Explores new ways of increasing the common wealth, making sure the best things in life are free
Virtual Free
Suit Yourself
Too Cheap To Meter
Splendor In The Grass
The Public Teat
Walk Of Ages
Walkers Of The World, Unite
Fad Free
Support Your Local Police
Steal This Bike
Principle 7 Shining Examples
Casts solar power in a new light with biological processes that meet energy and chemical needs through a thousand points of light
Sunny Disposition
Savings On A Hot Tin Roof
Split Wood, Not Atoms
Blaaaaaak And Decker
Unplugged
Essence Of Night Soil
Ivy League
Dare To Succeed
Principle 8 Home Delivery
Reveals how the values, value-added and "technology pull" of home suite home go together in community-based family firms and farms
Home On The Range
Home Plate
Family Values
Infant Industries
By Hook Or By Crook
A Cut Above...
The Last Straw
Virtual Renegade
Principle 9 Easy Does It
Applies the power of positive thinking and the concept of "social capital" to new ways of offering public and business services
Salad Days
Down The Garden Path
Law 'n Order
Organizing For Sunset
The Chlorine Curse
Look Before You Leak
Banned Near Boston
Green Catalyst
Cooking Up A Storm
Principle 10 What a Wonderful Life!
Replaces planned economies with the spontaneity of "community economies" and creates opportunities to take it easy, but take it
Carpet Beaters
Fashion Plates
Reclaiming Heritage
Flower Power
Logging Off
AuNaturel
Free Range Kids
Diamonds In The Rough
Yankee Come Home
True Grid
Swap Till You Drop
Eat, Drink And Be Merry
Get A Life!
Endnotes
Index
Subject Headings
