The primary theme of The Emerging Cooperative Economy is that the world today is

characterized by concentrated economic and political power, extreme inequality in

access to basic goods and services, and environmental devastation. However, we are

not stuck with such a dysfunctional economy forever. During the coming decades,

we can transition to an international economy based on increasing political and

economic democracy, meeting human needs, and sustaining the environment.

This book presents a possible path for moving toward a more cooperative society

and economy by 2050.

About the author

Nadeau graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His co-op career began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal in 1970. He was the founding director of Cooperative Development Services in 1985, a pioneering co-op business planning organization in the United States. He has done consulting work on well over 50 co-op projects in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Nadeau has authored or co-authored fi ve previous books and numerous articles on cooperatives and societal cooperation. He also taught more than 25 courses with cooperative themes, including as a faculty member at the International Centre for

Co-operative Management at St. Mary's University.