Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered

by E. F. Schumacher
Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Business and Economics
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  • ID: 7102
  • Added: 2025-12-10
  • Updated: 2025-12-13
  • ISBN: 9780061997761
  • Publisher: Harper Collins
  • Published: 2010-10-19
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

Small Is Beautiful is a seminal work by economist E. F. Schumacher that challenges the prevailing economic paradigms of his time. Schumacher argues for a shift away from large-scale, impersonal corporations and towards local, community-based economies that prioritize human needs and environmental sustainability. His ideas have inspired movements such as 'Buy Locally' and 'Fair Trade,' and his critique of 'casino capitalism' remains relevant today. The book presents a compelling case for building economies that serve communities rather than corporations, emphasizing the importance of scale and the dangers of unchecked growth. Schumacher's work is not just an economic treatise but also a call to action, urging readers to reconsider their relationship with consumption and the environment. Named one of the Times Literary Supplement’s 100 Most Influential Books Since World War II, Small Is Beautiful continues to influence economic thought and policy.

Reviews
Medium · 2025-12-10
insightful 4.00

The book critically examines modern economic structures, pointing out their detrimental effects on the environment. It advocates for a shift towards more sustainable and human-centered economic practices.

This review delves into the book's dissection of modern economic systems, highlighting how they have contributed to environmental degradation. The reviewer appreciates the book's call for a reorientation towards values like health, beauty, and permanence, which are centered around human well-being. They find the book's arguments compelling and timely, especially in the context of current global challenges.

Quick quotes

    Schumacher's book dissects the flaws of modern economic structures, highlighting how they've led to the worsening of our Earth's natural resources.

    The book offers a crucial message for the modern world struggling to balance economic growth with the human costs of globalization.

    It advocates for a shift towards more sustainable and human-centered economic practices.

ResearchGate · 2021-04-14
radical 4.50

The book challenges conventional economic wisdom and promotes sustainability, influencing modern thought on environmentalism and economics.

This review highlights the book's radical challenge to conventional economic wisdom, advocating for sustainability and influencing modern thought on environmentalism and economics. The reviewer appreciates the book's comprehensive critique of the pursuit of profit and progress, which often results in giant organizations that prioritize growth over human well-being. They find the book's arguments to be both timely and relevant, offering a fresh perspective on economic practices.

Quick quotes

    This radical 250-page book challenges the conventions that our current pursuit of profit and progress only results in giant organizations.

    It promotes sustainability and influences modern thought on environmentalism and economics.

    The book offers a fresh perspective on economic practices.

A Good Stopping Point · 2013-10-02
thoughtful 3.50

The book demands thoughtful engagement from the reader, with some sections requiring more effort to understand. It is not consistently engaging but offers valuable insights.

This reviewer notes that the book is not an easy read and requires a significant investment of thought and perseverance. They mention that while the book is not consistently engaging, it does offer profound insights that make it worth the effort. The reviewer appreciates the depth of the book's content, even if it is challenging at times.

Quick quotes

    There are sections that demand more of you as a reader in both thought and perseverance.

    The book is not consistently engaging to read, but it offers valuable insights.

    It offers a profound critique of modern economic structures.

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