The international bestseller by John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society, is a witty, elegant, and devastating attack on some of our most cherished economic myths. As relevant today as when it was first published forty years ago, this updated edition of Galbraith’s classic text on the 'economics of abundance' reveals the dangers of individual and social self-esteem regarding economic inequality. Why revere work and productivity when many of the goods we produce are unnecessary—artificial 'needs' created by high-pressure advertising? Why begrudge spending on vital public works while ignoring waste and luxury in the private sector of the economy? Classical economics was born in a harsh world of mass poverty and has left us with a set of prejudices poorly suited to the realities of our richer age. And so, very often, 'the complacent lead the complacent.' Our unknown problems need a new approach, and the reception given this famous book has shown the value of its fresh, vibrant ideas.

'A tightly reasoned challenge to conventional thought' - The New York Times. 'It shows him to be a truly sensitive and civilized man, whose ideas are rooted in the common civilization of the two continents, and who can serve as a bridge between them. His book is of outstanding significance for both' - The Times Literary Supplement.

John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006) was a Canadian-American economist. As a Keynesian and institutionalist, Galbraith was a leading proponent of 20th century American liberalism and progressivism. He was the author of 30 books, including The Economics of Innocent Fraud, The Great Crash: 1929, and A History of Economics.

Pages: 288, Dimensions: 13x13cm