It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it is somehow a radical idea to challenge the current Wall Street oligarchical stranglehold on the economy. But money is the partner of power, and neither will be democratized without developing some model options to the current "banking" dominance of the American economy and government.

Can we really develop at least some options that allow for the creation of micro-economies amidst the national one that is controlled by so-called bankers who just stared down the Obama White House on the so-called stress tests?

"The End of Money and the Future of Civilization" notes the famous quotation that "money is the crowbar of power." Therefore, it behooves us to democratize the monetary system into more diverse localized economies that then diminish the centralized power of the banking system and -- in the true spirit of America -- allow us the freedom to become -- at least to some degree -- independent of the financial forces that prey upon us.

Author Thomas H. Greco offers practical suggestions -- not Utopian ideals -- in this thought-provoking book by one of our favorite publishers, Chelsea Green of Vermont. Chelsea Green is itself an example of how people with vision can successfully develop a small publishing firm against all odds by focusing on sustainability, a greener world, "slow" food, and progressive books.

“Maybe you've noticed a slight bit of turmoil in our national and global financial system? This book cuts to the very core of the trouble--and points toward several pathways toward that might allow us to slowly climb out of the pit into which we've stumbled.”

--Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy

From the sustainable living publisher, Chelsea Green:

"Ultimately, The End of Money and the Future of Civilization provides the necessary understanding— for entrepreneurs, activists, and civic leaders—to implement approaches toward monetary liberation. These approaches would empower communities, preserve democratic institutions, and begin to build economies that are sustainable, democratic, and insulated from the financial crises that plague the dominant monetary system."