The Little Big Number - How GDP Came to Rule the World and What to Do about It  


The Little Big Number - How GDP Came to Rule the World and What to Do about It
April 1, 2017 | 416 pages
ISBN: 9780691175935

"In one lifetime, GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, has ballooned from a narrow economic tool into a global article of faith. It is our universal yardstick of progress. As The Little Big Number demonstrates, this spells trouble. While economies and cultures measure their performance by it, GDP ignores central facts such as quality, costs, or purpose. It only measures output: more cars, more accidents; more lawyers, more trials; more extraction, more pollution--all count as success. Sustainability and quality of life are overlooked. Losses don't count.