Jean-Marc Jancovici et Philippe Bihouix : Croissance et Effondrement

In this two-volume work, Tocqueville analyzes the democratic revolution he believed had been occurring over several hundred years. He examines the social, economic, and political conditions in the United States, comparing them to European societies. Tocqueville discusses the development of equality, the role of religion in American society, and potential threats to democracy such as the 'tyranny of the majority' and 'soft despotism'. The book is a comprehensive study of American democracy and its implications for other societies.

Published in 1968, 'The Population Bomb' by Paul and Anne Ehrlich predicts catastrophic consequences, including mass starvation and environmental ruin, due to unchecked population growth. The book argues that immediate action is necessary to control population growth to prevent these dire outcomes. Although many of the Ehrlichs' predictions did not come to pass, the book significantly raised awareness about population and environmental issues and influenced public policy in the 1960s and 1970s. The authors emphasize the need for conscious regulation of human numbers and highlight the strain that growing populations place on the natural world.

Publié en 1967, "Le nouvel état industriel" de John Kenneth Galbraith offre une analyse critique du capitalisme moderne. Galbraith décrit l'émergence de grandes entreprises puissantes qui contrôlent la production et la distribution de biens et services. Il souligne l'influence de ces entreprises sur la politique et la société, notamment à travers la manipulation de la demande et l'utilisation de la publicité. L'ouvrage explore les conséquences de cette concentration du pouvoir économique, notamment sur l'emploi et la distribution des richesses. Galbraith propose des solutions pour contrer cette influence excessive des grandes entreprises et promouvoir une économie plus équitable.

In this book, Julian Simon argues against the notion that humanity is running out of natural resources. He contends that as resources become scarcer, their prices rise, creating incentives for people to discover more resources, ration and recycle them, and develop substitutes. Simon believes that human creativity and innovation are the ultimate resources, enabling economic growth and improving living standards despite population growth. The book also discusses historical precedents of unfounded environmental fears and includes a famous wager with Paul Ehrlich that demonstrated the decline in real prices of commodity metals over time.

The book, commissioned by the Club of Rome, uses the World3 computer model to simulate the consequences of interactions between human systems and the Earth. It examines five basic factors: population increase, agricultural production, nonrenewable resource depletion, industrial output, and pollution generation. The authors conclude that if current growth trends continue, the Earth's resources will be depleted, leading to a sudden and uncontrollable decline in population and industrial capacity. However, the book also offers a message of hope, suggesting that forward-looking policy could prevent such outcomes if humanity acts promptly to reduce inefficiency and waste.