Growth, Employment, Inequality, and the Environment (PDF)

Adolfo Figueroa is Professor Emeritus of Economics of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He has taught and participated in collaborative research in American and British universities. He received his PhD in Economics from Vanderbilt University, USA in 1972. He studied there under the influence and guidance of Professor Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, the famous bio-economist.

"Figueroa has provided a coherent epistemological framework and derived from it operational policies for addressing the major problems of our time. A stimulating and challenging book!" - Herman Daly, Professor Emeritus, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, USA

"This is a challenging and fearless book the outcome of an entire scholarly life. Figueroa builds a theory of the capitalist system, relating first and third worlds, which focuses on power as the exogenous variable. He throws down the gauntlet to the neo-classical paradigm. With careful methodology he derives the conclusion that given present power structures, output growth creates over time social disorder, inequality and environmental degradation. The solution, he argues, lies in true 'citizens' democracy'." - Rosemary Thorp, Emeritus Fellow, Oxford University, UK

"Figueroa's thoughtful book is timeless, but happens to come at the right time: as we approach the identification of a new set of sustainable development goals in the family of United Nations, a unified theory integrating economic growth, distribution, and environmental degradation over the short and long run is urgently needed to provide the underpinning for sound development strategy." - Joachim von Braun, Professor and Director, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany

"This book provides a comprehensive model of global capitalism consistent with key historical facts about economic growth and distribution over the past two hundred years. It is also a powerful analysis of how diverse colonial experiences continue to shape the world economy. Distilled over many years, Figueroa's analysis is as pure as the finest Peruvian pisco, and merits savouring at least as much as the recent contributions of Thomas Piketty." -James Copestake, Professor, University of Bath, UK