"In 1992, when the first edition of The Growth Illusion appeared, most people would have had little doubt that the answer was "yes" - even the author was surprised when his research showed otherwise. Today, however, the climate of opinion has reversed and there is widespread acceptance that, while growth might be necessary to generate jobs, the development path we are following is not improving the quality of life for ourselves or for our children." "This updated and revised edition of The Growth Illusion explains what went wrong. As Richard Douthwaite argues, strategies used by governments to raise national income often increase poverty and unemployment. Moreover, in the USA, Britain, Germany and Australia, each increase in national income consumes more resources than it creates on a sustainable basis. In other words, these economies are running backwards and making their citizens worse off." "The Growth Illusion explores this phenomenon, asking fundamental questions along the way about economics and the society in which we live."--BOOK JACKET.