Excellent! Very readible on what could have been a topic hard to get through. ( )

Addresses through an economic lens the Big Problems - overpopulation, loss of bio-diversity, climate change and chronic poverty - in an articulate and informed and passionate manner. Compelling reading. Read May 2009. ( )

Jeffrey D. Sachs has written a book arguing for global action in response to global problems. He doesn't make dire predictions for the future, but talks about the implications of problems we are already experiencing.

I think the likelihood of global action is low, but perhaps more ideas like Mr. Sachs' will help increase those odds. ( )

Common Wealth makes for a very dense read. It is a very well researched collection of data and statistics detailing the fate of the planet as we go down the road of overpopulation, environmental degradation, and toxic foreign policy. The situation is not presented as a possible scenario, but as a certainty. It’s not entirely bleak; Sachs does offer solutions to the problems that he details. But if the book reads as a listing of dry statistics that’s simply because that’s what it is. The overall tone of the book is pessimistic, as it is overwhelmingly unlikely that our governments will cooperate to take the necessary steps outlined to alleviate our global problems. Having said that, I still recommend it to anyone who is concerned about our survival as a species. ( )