The world's economy is in crisis. Public spending has reached dizzying heights, national debts are crippling governments and economic growth is lacklustre or non-existent. It has been suggested that this is an unavoidable phase in the world's economic development. Not so, says J. P. Floru. Rather, we in the West have sleepwalked our way into a culture that condemns us to economic decline while savvier nations flourish. Heavens on Earth offers both a manifesto for creating prosperity and a fascinating tale of global growth. It takes a sweeping view of traditions across the world and across the centuries, introducing us to the remarkable individuals who made it all happen. Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Chile, the United States, post-war Germany, China and the Industrial Revolution in England all turned the tide from misery to plenty. Across time and space, the economic disease and the cure were remarkably similar. Heavens on Earth is a book for optimists: if we apply the successful formula of the past, the scope for economic prosperity is limitless.
