Book Review

I decided to interrupt my series on worker cooperatives to post a brief book review. I plan to pick up the series in the next posting.

Sometimes it takes a while before one finds a treasure. I recently found such a gem. Written in 2000 the book “Self-Management and the Crisis of Socialism: The Rose in the Fist of the Present” by Michael W Howard is an excellent work. Howard begins by taking the proposal of self-management and demonstrates in a very convincing and clear manner how it’s consistent with John Rawls Theory of Justice. Later in the book Howard defends economic democracy it against criticisms from Marxists, environmentalists and feminists.

One of the most intriguing proposals presented by Howard is for a universal Basic Income. According to Howard a guaranteed basic income, which is not means tested and would be set at the highest economically feasible level, would compliment economic democracy and resolve concerns Howard expresses about social justice and self-management.

Michael Howard’s book is a must read for anyone interested in economic democracy.