The Age of Sustainable Development

Jeff Sachs's admirable book explains what sustainable development means, why it matters, and our history in relation to our environment. It shows how the pattern of growth we have followed has placed intense strains on our planet and generated severe risks to our lives and livelihoods. Above all, it explains clearly where we can go and how to get there. It describes a potential future of great attraction in terms of wellbeing, community and prosperity, properly understood. It should, and I hope it will, strengthen both the understanding of the great choices we face and the resolve to act. It is a splendid achievement. -- Lord Nicholas Stern, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment This terrific book stands out for its breadth, clarity, mastery of detail, honest discussion of complex matters, and its author's practical experience and good sense. It is actually ten terrific books under one cover because its accounts of economics, history, health, development, education, gender issues, food, climate change and biological diversity are among the best available. If you want to understand the modern world, and if you have room on your shelf for only one book, this is your book. -- Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel There are very few authors that can so effectively rally the masses around an important cause-one that in this case concerns our collective future. There are still too few leaders with knowledge about global sustainable development challenges to affect the scalable changes that are needed. Professor Sachs's book is a comprehensive summary of complex issues, but it breaks them down and makes them digestible and understandable while making the imperative clear. It will clearly contribute significantly in closing the gap between science and policy, and hopefully serve as a catalyst for action. -- Hans Vestberg, CEO, Ericsson An important, comprehensive and remarkably accessible book-a standout in a sea ofjargon-laden titles that fail to explain and vivify this enormously complex topic Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Sweeping, enlightening, affecting, and invaluable, The Age of Sustainable Development should be available to everyone and consulted repeatedly. Booklist (starred review) Clear straightforward prose and a wealth of statistics... Sachs balances alarming forecasts with signs of progress. Publishers Weekly It is truly gratifying that an economist as distinguished as Jeffrey Sachs has authored The Age of Sustainable Development. His vast knowledge in the field and deep insights on various sectors of economic activity make him uniquely qualified to provide a view of the subject. Given the fact that almost a quartercentury has gone by since the Rio Summit of 1992, it is time for an authoritative volume such as the one Professor Sachs has authored for the benefit of global society. -- Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, director-general, TERI; former chairman, IPCC Comprehensive and crystal clear-what we need to make sustainable development a reality, not a dream. -- James E. Hansen, director, Earth Institute Program in Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions The Age of Sustainable Development is both sobering and inspiring: sobering because it presents in great detail the unprecedented challenges facing mankind; inspiring because it assures us that we can meet those challenges, if only we summon the will to act. -- Kerry Kennedy, president, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights It is, in my view, the best, most comprehensive and most articulate exposition of sustainable development ever written... I would make this book compulsory reading for all politicians and business leaders. -- David Griggs Nature Sachs has probably produced the best book to date on how to manage the planet for 10 billion people. -- Fred Pearce New Scientist A comprehensive introduction to the field of sustainable development by one of its leading scholars, advocates, and practitioners... Recommended. Library Journal In a book of incredible breadth, Sachs delivers a sobering account of the impact of human activity upon the balance of life on Earth... Highly recommended. Choice An inspiring and enlightening read. Africa Report a perceptive, analytical, and hopeful book about the future...This landmark in economic publications presents a brilliant examination of major worldwide threats to the planet and puts forward ways to balance economic development and environmental sustainability to overcome those threats...It is a magnum opus; the chief source of information for any person interested in understanding what sustainable development is all about. -- Bill Schwab Missourian A thoughtful and comprehensive resource on this crucial topic. Civil Engineering A clear and cogent nontechnical survey of the world's major challenges beyond the preservation of peace and security. -- Richard N. Cooper Foreign Affairs Sachs's book is written for a popular audience and could be used as a complementary text for courses in environmental or development economics or in public health classes or environmental studies classes. Its breadth of insights and coverage is staggering and students and general readers will find new ideas on every page of the book. -- Matthew E. Kahn Journal of Economic Literature