History of the Future of Economic Growth Historical Roots of Current Debates on Sustainable Degrowth

'Borowy and Schmelzer's book adds a great deal of historical understanding to the subjects of economic growth, social inequality, and social movements in an age where climate change and declining resource quality will make these problems even more difficult to solve.' - Kent Klitgaard, Professor of Economics Wells College Aurora, New York, USA 'In this volume a handful of historians put the concept of economic growth under the microscope. Their work, accessible to any reader, bristles with insights concerning the origins of the ambition of economic growth, the implications of that ambition for our times, and the clouded future of economic growth. Taken together it offers a new perspective on a crucial subject.' - J.R. McNeill, Georgetown University, USA 'This book traces the history of the growth paradigm as well as the history of its critique. It is a must-read for anyone interested on alternatives to a one-way future consisting only of growth.' - Giorgos Kallis, ICREA Professor of Ecological Economic, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain 'A new generation of European and American economic historians, political economists and ecologists, historians of science led by Iris Borowy and Matthias Schmelzer come together in this splendid collection of essays to question the notion of economic growth and even that of sustainable development. They write brilliantly about gold and money, the health of humans, the economy and the environment, issues of science and technology, the cult of GDP growth and its questioning by different though converging schools of "prosperity without growth", Décroissance and Post-Wachstum.' - Joan Martinez-Alier, Emeritus Professor at ICTA, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain 'Riding the crest of a new wave in the history of economics, this book navigates the fluid landscapes of ideas of economic growth in time and place; a rich resource for historians and economists alike.' - Glenda Sluga, Professor of International History, University of Sydney, Australia 'This cutting-edge collection combines scholarly rigor with political urgency: a boon to academics, participants in social movements, and those who seek to bridge the gap.' - Quinn Slobodian, Associate Professor of History at Wellesley College, USA