Robert A. Needham
4.0 out of 5 stars Buy the Kindle not the Print — Thoughts Worth Considering, December 23, 2014
Enough substance to warrant my finishing the book and writing a summary review.
I accepted this book from a publicist because of my strong interest in “third way” economics. I like the concept of Collaborative Commonwealth very much, an alternative concept is one put forth by Michel Bauwens and others as Open Cooperativism. The two concepts are not as similar as one might think.
What I like most about the book is its very clever use of the water analogy (drops become streams become rivers feed lakes and oceans); its starkly interesting positioning of collaborative commonwealth as being in the sweet spot between the extremes of predatory capitalism and unbridled socialism, and its combination of clear patriotism including a defense of all of the Constitutional Amendments with an equally clear indictment of the US Government as the “gang in possesion” looting the Commonwealth and helping the banksters — including the private bank known as the Federal Reserve — squeeze the last drop of blood out of We the Economic Slaves.
I am troubled by the author's fear of authority and hence of any use of the word revolution as in abolish the present corrupt government — someone has clearly frightened him with the knowledge that dissent in the USA is now treated by the Department of Homeland Security as grounds for assuming you are a terrorist with no civil rights — and by the rather rough nature of the book — this is an essay with many references and many important points but it reads like a powerpoint briefing rushed into print.
Related Books I have Reviewed:
Fusion Economics: How Pragmatism Is Changing the World
Economic Direct Democracy: A Framework to End Poverty and Maximize Well-Being
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, Revised and Updated 5th Anniversary Edition: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits
Stop, Thief!: The Commons, Enclosures, and Resistance (Spectre)
935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America's Moral Integrity
Other Books I Recommend in Larger Context:
Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action (Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions)
1491 (Second Edition): New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Beautiful Trouble: Pocket Edition
What Wags the World: Tales of Conscious Awakening
Designing a World That Works for All: How the Youth of the World are Creating Real-World Solutions for the UN Millenium Development Goals and Beyond
Recommended as a Kindle, print is over-priced — this is an article pushing a website. In my view the price for the print version needs to come down to $9 to warrant purchase. The book would also benefit from a professional editor.
The book ends with a pointer to the web site CollaborateUSA, and regardless of whether you buy the book or not, I do strongly recommend a look at the website.
Best wishes to all,
Robert David STEELE Vivas
The Open Source Everything Manifesto: Transparency, Truth, & Trust
