Book Review - Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money
Pasted below from my review on GoodReads.com (which I've been really getting into lately, check it out!).
Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money by Woody Tasch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In this book, Tasch proposes a new paradigm in investment and cultural literacy, beginning with the principle that agriculture led us into the industrial age and must be reassessed in order to get us out. He ties together many schools of thought as applied to the tension between industrial finance and agriculture, such as mathematics ("every formula is either complete and inconsistent, or consistent and incomplete"), economics ("either you are a true fiduciary or a false Malthusian'), environmentalism (recounting the destruction of our ecosystem during the 20th century in exchange for faster, cheaper and less wholesome food-- trading shelf life for quality), sociology (the contradictions that 21st century citizens must balance when facing these issues) and politics.
As a "nurture capitalist" Tasch challenges the early 20th century philanthropic paradigm of giving back-- an idea that presupposes a taking away. Other themes include the destruction of local communities in exchange for nebulous places created by the hyper-fast invisible movement of money, and other metaphors such as the suburban home as a life-support center with its members inoculated by our anodyne mass media while consuming distantly-produced stuff and creating nothing.
Tasch gives short shrift to the power of the Internet as a social, political and financial force, relegating it to a symptom of our mental and social sterilization (caused by our voluntary surrender to so-called fast money that is everywhere and nowhere at the same time). Although I disagree with some of the author's positions, it's a fast read that paints a broad picture of a more sustainable future tied to the land and how our destruction of it is beginning to show its ugly effects. Tasch's book will continue to serve as a diverse introduction and guide to the emergent nature of Slow Money.
Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money by Woody TaschMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
In this book, Tasch proposes a new paradigm in investment and cultural literacy, beginning with the principle that agriculture led us into the industrial age and must be reassessed in order to get us out. He ties together many schools of thought as applied to the tension between industrial finance and agriculture, such as mathematics ("every formula is either complete and inconsistent, or consistent and incomplete"), economics ("either you are a true fiduciary or a false Malthusian'), environmentalism (recounting the destruction of our ecosystem during the 20th century in exchange for faster, cheaper and less wholesome food-- trading shelf life for quality), sociology (the contradictions that 21st century citizens must balance when facing these issues) and politics.
As a "nurture capitalist" Tasch challenges the early 20th century philanthropic paradigm of giving back-- an idea that presupposes a taking away. Other themes include the destruction of local communities in exchange for nebulous places created by the hyper-fast invisible movement of money, and other metaphors such as the suburban home as a life-support center with its members inoculated by our anodyne mass media while consuming distantly-produced stuff and creating nothing.
Tasch gives short shrift to the power of the Internet as a social, political and financial force, relegating it to a symptom of our mental and social sterilization (caused by our voluntary surrender to so-called fast money that is everywhere and nowhere at the same time). Although I disagree with some of the author's positions, it's a fast read that paints a broad picture of a more sustainable future tied to the land and how our destruction of it is beginning to show its ugly effects. Tasch's book will continue to serve as a diverse introduction and guide to the emergent nature of Slow Money.