Less Is More

“Less is More” is an eye-opening book that goes in detail about the rise, mechanisms and threat of capitalism. As people, governments and corporations continue their business as usual - ploughing through forests, extracting copious amounts of resources and accelerating mindless consumerism, the threat of our civilization’s downfall through the irreversible effects of climate change looms closer. Is it possible to stop it? Perhaps, but it will require for us to move away from the ever-unsustainable ideas of endless growth, Jason Hickel argues and establishes “degrowth” as the new model countries around the world should follow and gives examples of a few already successful transformations. Ideas of equality, healthcare, ecology and post-consumerism, among many others, contribute to “degrowth” and are going to be essential for creating sustainable future. It is not about asceticism, as one may fear, but about flourishing.

I hope this book finds its way to as many people around the world as possible. For me, it destroyed many assumptions I had about how our economy and our relation with the environment works. It highlighted the issues of the ever-present chase for more GDP growth, consumerism and how capitalism often creates and feeds on artificial scarcity to unnecessarily produce and sell more things.

I hope humanity can address all of these issues in this century. However, there is still doubt at the back of my mind. To implement the ideas “Less is More” presents, it basically requires that mythical world peace, in order for countries to stop growing, producing so much military hardware and flexing their muscles on the international stage. And as things stand right now, we’re unfortunately not headed in that direction.

Creo que este libro hace un buen resumen del trabajo de mucha gente, haciendo una buena labor de divulgación, accesible, hilando cosas y dándoles un orden, así que muy recomendable para que lo lea todo el mundo. Ya estoy pensando en personas a las que se lo puedo regalar.

Como puntos negativos, me hubiera gustado que tuviera más peso en las explicaciones el punto de vista de las mujeres. Por ejemplo nombra a Silvia Federici y se apoya en su trabajo de "caliban y la bruja", pero no he notado que haya permeado mucho el mensaje feminista, y me da pena que esa parte no la haya incluido tan bien como otras. Además, pone mucho peso del libro en la parte de generación de urgencia, para conseguir explicar un cambio de punto de vista a partir del cual se precipitan rápidamente una serie de soluciones, que son detalladas, pero en las que me gustaría profundizar aún más (mi expectativa). La consecuencia de esto es que si algunas partes ya te suenan, pensarás que no entra al chichote hasta muy avanzada la lectura.

Pero todo esto no le quita un ápice de importancia al libro. Las soluciones son claras, tangibles, y buenos primeros pasos fundamentados. Me llevo nombres de estudios, autoras y autores con los que profundizar.