The Crash Course

The next twenty years will be completely unlike the last twentyyears. The world is in economic crisis, and there are no easy fixes toour predicament. Unsustainable trends in the economy, energy, andthe environment have finally caught up with us and are convergingon a very narrow window of time--the "Twenty-Teens." TheCrash Course presents our predicament and illuminates the pathahead, so you can face the coming disruptions and thrive--withoutfearing the future or retreating into denial. In this book you willfind solid facts and grounded reasoning presented in a calm,positive, non-partisan manner. Our money system places impossible demands upon a finiteworld. Exponentially rising levels of debt, based onassumptions of future economic growth to fund repayment, willshudder to a halt and then reverse. Unfortunately, our financialsystem does not operate in reverse. The consequences of massivedeleveraging will be severe. Oil is essential for economic growth. The reality of dwindlingoil supplies is now internationally recognized, yet virtually nodeveloped nations have a Plan B. The economic risks toindividuals, companies, and countries are varied and enormous.Best-case, living standards will drop steadily worldwide.Worst-case, systemic financial crises will toss the world intojarring chaos. This book is written for those who are motivated to learn aboutthe root causes of our predicaments, protect themselves and theirfamilies, mitigate risks as much as possible, and control whateffects they can. With challenge comes opportunity, and TheCrash Course offers a positive vision for how to reshape ourlives to be more balanced, resilient, and sustainable.