Although this was written 20 years ago, the topics it touches on remain disturbingly current. America has made little if any progress toward becoming what Galbraith calls a 'good society'. That's not to say that America doesn't have a lot to be said for it, but we could have done better. We just didn't. In some ways, wealth disparity being perhaps the most notable, we've actually gotten worse.

This is a work of philosophy written in an academic style. It's short, but not a light or easy read. Neither is it scientific. No hard data are presented. There are few examples for the points being made. There is also a little argument for what Galbraith calls 'good' or things that 'should' be done. He seems to take it as given that everyone will agree that all people should enjoy peace, a living wage for a full day's work, access to health care, adequate housing, food.... Alas, it seems there are some who disagree. Perhaps they would argue that people who can be exploited should be exploited. To them, maybe economic disparity is the mark of a 'good' society. I can't say I understand why they might, but it does seem that there are people who do. I tend to agree with Galbraith that universal peace, prosperity, and education are 'good' things, but I doubt this book will convince those who don't.

What really stuck with me as I was reading this is what I alluded to first in this short review. The 'current' issues of two decades ago are still current today. We've made little little progress in addressing them, but we have shown a surprising ability to ignore them. I have to wonder how long that can continue and what the consequences might be if we delay too long. ( )

Though now somewhat dated (published 1996) and USA-centric, this book remains well worth reading, so long as you read it critically. Galbraith recognises that capitalism is here to stay, but wants it to be much more managed than it has been in either the USA or the UK. Much of what he asks for makes absolute sense, for example a very strong focus on excellence in education. Some of his assumptions might (or might not!) make sense in the USA context but not in UK / Europe. For example he calls for continuing growth of population and an ever increasing labour supply to provide high levels of both production and consumption. He either ignores or hasn't understood how labour shortages and consequent higher labour costs are important drivers of innovation and positive social change. He advocates a wide open door to immigration, which certainly made sense in the history of the USA as for so long a predominantly empty land, and may have made sense through the 20th century. Immigration as a source of cheap labour makes absolutely no sense in 21st century Europe and arguably little sense for the USA. Galbraith also seems oblivious of the way untrammelled immigration from poorer to wealthier economies tends to deprive he least developed countries of too many of their brightest and best. One other - and perhaps the deepest - flaw in Galbraith's philosophy of government is his apparent assumption that Governments are capable of wise decisions. He doesn't much like the way markets make decisions, bemoaning for example the way investment can be sucked into 'frivolous' consumer products and services instead of 'socially urgent' public purposes. One wonders what he would have made of the scale of today's world wide market for games and gaming! ( )

This was a very interesting book. Basically Galbraith argues that for a truly good society to take over in America, a truer expression of democracy is needed - a democracy in which the poor, lifted up by a social safety net and educated well enough to encourage democratic participation, are impossibke to silence.

This is definitely a liberal vision but not an extreme or far left one. It urges the reader to cast aside political dogma and actually LOOK at the issues in question. it would be truly nice if people actually did that today.

Although this book does suffer a bit from being dated (1996), there is a great deal that is still relevant and it is definitely worth reading. ( )

A succinct and well argued exposition of mainstream liberal thought. ( )