In Common Wealth, Jeffrey D. Sachs-one of the world's most respected economists and the author of The New York Times bestseller Th...
read full description
reviews
Nov 24, 2008
Manderson
rated it: 
This is a brave and uncompromising outline of where our political and economic development must go for our nation and globe to adapt to and mitigate environmental changes and population growth. I hope every public representative in the world reads this.
Jeffrey Sachs picks up from where his The End of Poverty left off, and extends his macroeconomic perspective to the challenges of climate change, population growth, and environmental devastation. He firmly lays waste to the ideologic More...
Jeffrey Sachs picks up from where his The End of Poverty left off, and extends his macroeconomic perspective to the challenges of climate change, population growth, and environmental devastation. He firmly lays waste to the ideologic More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jun 05, 2008
Mike
rated it: 
I had to read this book in stages. It includes a ton of great information, but it's frequently really heavy stuff. I saw Sachs at Politics & Prose in DC reading from the book and lecturing. He's such an amazing person. He meant for the book to be full of heavier and more technical material than his last book, "The End of Poverty". He said that although it might not always be fun to read, we need to know this stuff in order to solve the big problems we face in the future. And that
More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Apr 15, 2011
Brett
rated it: 
Let me be very frank - I agree with the general concept of this book, and indeed with most of the points that Sachs tries to make. That does not, however, make up for how badly written this poor excuse for a book is.
Sachs makes three major mistakes in this work:
1. Weak Arguments - Sachs likes to use graphs and charts to prove his points, but if you look carefully at these tables...they suck. The data is almost always indecisive or displayed in a misleading way. The casua More...
Sachs makes three major mistakes in this work:
1. Weak Arguments - Sachs likes to use graphs and charts to prove his points, but if you look carefully at these tables...they suck. The data is almost always indecisive or displayed in a misleading way. The casua More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 20, 2009
Gill
rated it: 
In 2003, I was working as an agroforestry extension agent in a remote village in Africa. I had been struggling to get people to plant nitrogen-fixing and fruit trees for a year, to improve agriculture through local inputs (not just fertilizer and expensive seeds) and teach methods of improving plant breeding. Sachs came on VOA and gave a big interview (parroting Pedro Sanchez) about how if we sent more money to Africa, we could plant more nitrogen-fixing trees, and then all the soils would be mu
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 25, 2008
Chandra
rated it:
Fantastic book by Sachs, really an encyclopedic reference for the biggest challenges facing humanity. In his typical pragmatic yet optimistic style, Sachs comprehensively describes the crises of global warming, an exploding population, environmental deterioration and poverty, and outlines steps we can take now to do something about them, from the individual to international level. While the truth can sometimes be horrifying (especially exposures of the Bush administration's hindrance on so many
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 21, 2009
Edwin
rated it:
For me this book is a primer on what's most important going on in the world today, a useful paradigm on sustainable development and the need for all nations and all peoples to take responsibility for the earth - because it's not yet too late and we can still reverse the tide of environmental collapse, if we act now. Global social justice is also very much in Sachs' picture here - taking developed nations to task for providing very reasonable aid to help peoples in impoverished areas of the world
More...
Aug 27, 2010
Xing
rated it:
The key ideas are those which many of us have arrived at naturally and collectively- such as the consequences of population growth, over-consumption of resources, income disparities, as well as the numerous efforts people are making to tackle these issues. Sachs provides a broad, global perspective, allowing the non-economist to place underlying concepts (economic trends, political decision-making, population control) within a wider context, and elegantly knits together a wealth of essential fac
More...
Dec 12, 2010
Gabriel
rated it:
Jeffrey Sachs, former Harvard economist and current Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, is the ideal person to author such a work — a comprehensive overview of, and action plan for the social and environmental crises facing our planet. Regrettably, this book is a missed opportunity except, perhaps, as a very basic (and somewhat uninspired) introduction to present day environmental science and development economics. Hints of what this book could have been are found in the sec
More...
Feb 07, 2010
Anthony
rated it: 
A rather uninspiring rehash from Sachs covering the breadth of development and environmental issues. For those who are already familiar with either field (and their sustainable development intersection), you won't find much new material here aside from some innovative programs you may not have heard of (e.g., GrameenPhone and Village Phone in Bangladesh). People who have not read the development/environment literature will find Common Wealth to be an accessible introduction, though lacking in
More...
Jan 18, 2010
Greg
rated it:
Not a bad book, although my main complaints are that it highly repetitive (one could play a drinking game with Green Revolution references) and a bit too self-referential at times. I like the fact that he calls for an active role of government in addressing climate change, investment in research and development, etc., but in other ways Sachs' view is painfully orthodox from an economics perspective. For example, he clearly subscribes to the notion of long-run convergence and equilibrium of inc
More...
Oct 03, 2009
Mason
rated it:
He covers a lot of ground, emphasizing the need to tackle diverse problems--health, environment, inequality, and more--all at the same time.
However, there's nothing hugely original here, and it's been covered elsewhere in more compelling ways. Also, Sachs takes on a professorial tone far too much of the time, telling the readers how things are, without much indication of how he arrived at these conclusions.
Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It More...
However, there's nothing hugely original here, and it's been covered elsewhere in more compelling ways. Also, Sachs takes on a professorial tone far too much of the time, telling the readers how things are, without much indication of how he arrived at these conclusions.
Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It More...
Jan 27, 2009
Glenn
rated it:
I wanted to like this book. I agree with Sachs on most of the issues he covers in this book. But...
I really hate it when people use weak arguments to support ideas I agree with. I think it does more harm than good. I really didn't like how Sachs presents as an established fact that the first human inhabitants of North America hunted large mammals to extinction. He presents this as a historical example of human activity changing the environment. But there is no consensus that this is More...
I really hate it when people use weak arguments to support ideas I agree with. I think it does more harm than good. I really didn't like how Sachs presents as an established fact that the first human inhabitants of North America hunted large mammals to extinction. He presents this as a historical example of human activity changing the environment. But there is no consensus that this is More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 01, 2010
Millicent
rated it:
This book presents a fairly complete overview of mainstream international economic development theory and goals, and would serve as a useful introduction to the topic. Jeffrey Sachs is the darling economic advisor of many of the United Nations' development schemes, and is the driving figurehead behind the Millenium Development Goals. He's a liberal free-market economist at heart (as Naomi Klein so delightfully rips him apart for in The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism) who had e
More...
May 20, 2009
Sharon
rated it:
Sachs tells us why it makes sense for all of us to work on alleviating world poverty. Desperate times makes for desperate people, and that affects everyone. (Consider the Somali pirates and why they have turned to piracy.)
I believe Sachs is trying to tell us in "business terms" and "economic sense" why it is in our self interest to help poverty nations. After all, if shear empathy won't work, let's apply numbers and charts and statistics and see if that will get p More...
I believe Sachs is trying to tell us in "business terms" and "economic sense" why it is in our self interest to help poverty nations. After all, if shear empathy won't work, let's apply numbers and charts and statistics and see if that will get p More...
Aug 08, 2010
Mia
rated it:
I liked many of the ideas expressed and the sense of optimism. I was a bit put off by the description of a three part solution that included corporations, NGOs, and governments, that did not acknowledge or examine the place of communities and cultures as well. And there were some points where it seemed like certain externalities were not known (or admitted), such as the environmental cost of manufacture, especially of the kinds of materials needed to produce solar panels or compact batteries w
More...
Dec 27, 2011
Joey
rated it:
I don’t think there’s serious doubt that sustainable development is an element of the remedy for the ills that Sachs outlines in Common Wealth: environmental degradation, climate change, extreme poverty, disease, exponential population growth. What is startling is the extent to which the practices of the developed world’s population and businesses, and the policies of its governments, tend to ignore these ills.
One effective point of Common Wealth is how Sachs drew strong linkages betwe More...
One effective point of Common Wealth is how Sachs drew strong linkages betwe More...
Sep 24, 2011
Justine
rated it:
A stark reminder of the prevailing global challenges and a call for effective cooperation on 4 major goals: (1) sustainable development, touching upon the environment and climate change (2) population stabilization (3) eradication of extreme poverty, and (4) new approach to solving global problems via cooperation among nations and inclusion of non-governmental sector.
Jeffrey Sachs cleverly couches his arguments and propositions for the 4 goals in logical economic terms and models.
More...
Jeffrey Sachs cleverly couches his arguments and propositions for the 4 goals in logical economic terms and models.
More...
Dec 16, 2009
Molly
rated it:
Now one of many books about what to do with the "third" world. Long, tedious, and tiresome at times, this book does have some good points. Although I disagree with some of Sachs's views (ie depending heavily on science, technologies, and GMOs), I've come to understand that he has the views of nearly all economists - give a problem enough money and innovation will come through in the long run. My science background, though, makes me wary of this, as I can just see land degradation an
More...
Feb 16, 2009
Keith
rated it:
This is the book that Jeffrey Sachs was meant to write. His previous book, The End of Poverty, has a catchier title and perhaps a more broadly appealing subject, but this book is far and away a better and more important read.
Sachs outlines three major challenges facing our world in the coming decades - environmental change, population growth, and extreme poverty, and gives a sort of state of the world in each of these three categories. For each topic, he discusses where we are now, t More...
Sachs outlines three major challenges facing our world in the coming decades - environmental change, population growth, and extreme poverty, and gives a sort of state of the world in each of these three categories. For each topic, he discusses where we are now, t More...
Mar 21, 2011
Oliver
rated it:
I think that Sachs approach is interesting and I will add my detailed notes at some point to this post.
Essentially, Sachs discusses the climate facing the modern world, what with climate change, population booms, lacking resources, politics and seeming impending disaster. Due to this, he offers his optimistic perspective on how the world, through an interactive, multilateral approach, can begin to resolve these problems. He also makes the case that international economic aid is an importa More...
Essentially, Sachs discusses the climate facing the modern world, what with climate change, population booms, lacking resources, politics and seeming impending disaster. Due to this, he offers his optimistic perspective on how the world, through an interactive, multilateral approach, can begin to resolve these problems. He also makes the case that international economic aid is an importa More...
Nov 12, 2009
Tim
rated it:
I had been looking for a book that explained in detail all the issues of climate change, population growth, poverty and sustainability in the world. A friend recommended "Common Wealth" by the economist Jeffrey D. Sachs and it didn't disappoint.
Jeffrey Sachs has been an economic adviser all over the world to governments and organizations. His work advising the U.N. on the Millennium Development Goals will likely get him a Nobel Prize one day soon. His ability to break do More...
Jeffrey Sachs has been an economic adviser all over the world to governments and organizations. His work advising the U.N. on the Millennium Development Goals will likely get him a Nobel Prize one day soon. His ability to break do More...
Jan 05, 2009
MCOH
rated it:
O.k, actually, I didn't finish this. I checked it out of the library (on interlibrary loan) a while ago, and it came due before I was done. I'm just marking it as read, because I'm getting annoyed looking at my long list of books that I'm "currently reading". I need a place to mark, "Started this book, may or may not ever finish. Now kindly move aside and stop taunting me for being such an irresponsible, flaky reader."
It was a pretty good book (the first half More...
It was a pretty good book (the first half More...
Jun 14, 2008
Roger
rated it:
Jeff Sachs writes inspirationally, but he is too idealistic. Implementing his policies requires many givens, appealing to the best in politicians. However, a plan built purely on hope is either trying to pull an anime, saving the world with hotblooded manliness, or is doomed to failure. Politicians have their reasons for acting, and unless those reasons are rendered counterproductive or fulfilled, they will continue striding.
I think he suffers from giving too many presentations via P More...
I think he suffers from giving too many presentations via P More...
May 16, 2008
Mark
rated it:
Jeffrey Sachs is the literary answer to Al Gore's film 'The Inconvient Truth', but without the dry, witty humor (that Gore could have made great use of during is vying for the presidency). Nevertheless, Sachs' book is chock full of information, mostly about the consequences of disregarding global warming as not just a potential serious problem for some, but as a global problem for us all. It is dark and it is forboding, but I can't decide whether it is the subject-matter and my understanding o
More...
Jan 10, 2009
Phil
rated it:
It's interesting to see that Jeff Sachs learned from his ugly shock therapy that was the breakup of the USSR. Once again, the finest book on that subject is "Globalization and its Discontents" by Stiglitz. Now, Sachs is trying to save the world in every facet. He does an excellent job of listing the worlds problems, and he is terrific at combining multiple ideas and synthesizing the interconnectedness of problems. This only gets four stars due to its very selective history of the U
More...
Nov 09, 2011
Cameron
rated it:
This is a wonderful, detailed discussion on the major global social and environmental problems facing the world today. It also provides an interesting history on how we got to where we are today. But the best part is that Sachs provides detailed solutions to these problems along with the economics and methods of implementation. In short, it's a promising map for humanity to follow over the next 50 years. An important book for anyone who walks on 2 legs.
Aug 25, 2009
Milele
rated it:
I scanned this book pretty superficially at the cottage last week. While I knew a lot of the details, it was good to see the picture put together. I also had a "duh" moment when I understood, for the first time, why resources like forests can get squandered so easily if privately owned: a private owner must beat the general interest rate in order to have a competitive investment, even if that means razing the property, selling the wood and writing off the property value.
Aug 24, 2009
Phair
rated it:
A comprehensive overview of most of the world's problems- climate, poverty, health, etc, so it was very dense with information. The language was accessible but it was enough to make the head spin when read all at once (I ended up only skimming the last few chapters in time for a f2f discussion group) I probably would not have read this if not for the f2f group but several of the topics would be interesting to read more about in a more narrow focus.
May 06, 2010
Frances
rated it:
I loved his book, The End of Poverty, but this one just didn't seem as compelling. It seems I have read many of his points elsewhere, written in a more compelling style.
In the end, it was an excellent summary of the issues facing the planet, and I don't disagree with his points. I just wasn't the page-turner that other books on these topics have been.
As a side note, it was published in 2008 before Obama was elected and before the global financial crisis. Thus, it was More...
In the end, it was an excellent summary of the issues facing the planet, and I don't disagree with his points. I just wasn't the page-turner that other books on these topics have been.
As a side note, it was published in 2008 before Obama was elected and before the global financial crisis. Thus, it was More...
May 21, 2009
US economist takes on world's most difficult problems. Sach's has many sensible suggestions, keen analysis of problems and insightful historical takes on geopolitics. He says he remains an optimist. Yet so much of his prescription for success comes down to consistent and reliable funding from democratic governments. Is this realistic? The man's range of knowledge is awesome.
