Book: Nelson A and Timmerman F (2011) (Eds). Life Without Money: Building Fair and Sustainable Economies. Pluto Press: London. ISBN: 978-0-7453-3165-2.

Presentation

Do we need money? The authors of Life Without Money argue that we need to free ourselves from monetary values and relations to achieve democratic and meaningful relationships with one another and a sustainable dynamic with nature. Money is a key aspect of damaging practices that cannot be reformed.

Beyond constructive critiques of our world and its uncertain future, Life Without Money points out how we can stage a concerted collective revolution. Written by ten scholar-activists the book is an introductory field guide to contemporary non-market socialism.

Resuscitating the Left’s humanist critique of twentieth century communism and drawing on utopian, anarchist and Marxist literature, the contributors explore work refusal, self-management, gift economies, a collective labour-credit system, the non-monetary ecological economics of urban and rural squatters, and the radical economic philosophy of Che Guevara.