How Much is Enough?

Money and the Good Life

By: Edward Skidelsky

Narrated by: Clay Teunis

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

A provocative and timely call for a moral approach to economics, drawing on philosophers, political theorists, writers, and economists from Aristotle to Marx to Keynes.

What constitutes the good life? What is the true value of money? Why do we work such long hours merely to acquire greater wealth? These are some of the questions that many asked themselves when the financial system crashed in 2008. This book tackles such questions head-on.

The authors begin with the great economist John Maynard Keynes. In 1930 Keynes predicted that, within a century, per capita income would steadily rise, people’s basic needs would be met, and no one would have to work more than fifteen hours a week. Clearly, he was wrong: though income has increased as he envisioned, our wants have seemingly gone unsatisfied, and we continue to work long hours.

The Skidelskys explain why Keynes was mistaken. Then, arguing from the premise that economics is a moral science, they trace the concept of the good life from Aristotle to the present and show how our lives over the last half century have strayed from that ideal. Finally, they issue a call to think anew about what really matters in our lives and how to attain it.

How Much Is Enough? is that rarity, a work of deep intelligence and ethical commitment accessible to all readers. It will be lauded, debated, cited, and criticized. It will not be ignored.

©2012 Robert Skidelsky and Edward Skidelsky (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Not what I expected at all!

If you want to listen to a book about a whole bunch of theories, then this book is for you. I did not enjoy this book at all, and it did not provide any useful information that I found beneficial. I would not recommend this book unless you want to be bored out of your mind.

A Compendium of Elitist Human Cluelessness

That said (read the Philosophy of Broader Survival for the details), and not expecting anything greater, there is plenty of interesting information here. The book presents problems caused by cluelessness, and then it offers elitist top-down solutions that will not work and do not address the core problem with humanity (cluelessness, read the philosophy).

Good book but requires some pre-knowledge

I found this book very interesting but it seemed a bit academic and does assume knowledge of philosophy, classics, economics etc.

Very good book packed with interesting ideas.

It deals with a topic which humanity is long overdue in addressing. With hindsighte though, i would have preferred to read it as it's very dense which makes it hard to listen to. I had to keep skipping back to get all the info into my brain!

A pity religion gets in on the act

Religion necessary to achieve the good life? Otherwise many cogent valid proposals put forward.