Press Release
27 March 2025
The Care Economy
New Book by Leading Ecological Economist Rethinks the Role of Care in a Time of Global Crises
Guildford, UK
Care is the central organising principle of organic life – something we neglect at our peril, argues former government advisor Prof Tim Jackson in a new and piercing critique of our growth-obsessed politics.
The Care Economy (released 3rd April) exposes the damage caused by this obsession. Big Food and Big Pharma undermine our health. Tech giants corrupt our kids. The ‘careless economy’ drags us relentlessly towards war and violence. All in the name of profit.
But our rage at this folly must be balanced by a rigorous attention to the possibilities for change, argues Jackson. Weaving character, history and plot into a seamless narrative, he guides the reader towards a fascinating and uplifting conclusion: it doesn’t have to be like this. Irreverent, insightful and profoundly inquisitive, The Care Economy offers the world a timely and powerful antidote to the chaos around us.
Praise for The Care Economy
»The absence of care in economics limits the reach of policy. Jackson shows not only what is missed by this, but also what gives us a better economics.«
—Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
»The Care Economy rocks. Enjoy the rhythms of this compelling takedown of the dismal science and dance to the beat of new economic principles…«
—Nancy Folbre, author of The Invisible Heart
»A must-read for anyone who cares about the future. A book that could change the world.«
—Michael Dixon MD, CVO, OBE, Chair of the College of Medicine
»Tim Jackson has plumbed the depths of economics, psychology, philosophy, and spirituality to confront us with that which we can’t ignore—we were born to care, and when we choose not to, we kill ourselves, our children, and our planet.«
—Robert Lustig MD, author of The Hacking of the American Mind
»A post-growth page-turner. Everyone who dreams of a better world should read this compelling account of how a care economy could replace our growth-addicted system.«
—Joan Tronto, author of Who Cares?
Notes for Editors
- The Care Economy (Polity 2025) is now available for pre-order and will be released on 3 April.
- For interviews, inquiries, review copies and further information, please contact:
l.gessner@surrey.ac.uk
- Prof Tim Jackson is the founding Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity at the University of Surrey. For seven years he was Economics Commissioner on the UK Sustainable Development Commission and has advised the European Commission and the UN. In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious Hillary Laureate for leadership in sustainability. In 2022 he won the Eric Zencey Prize for ecological economics. In addition to his academic work, Jackson is an award-winning playwright with numerous radio-writing credits for the BBC.
- Jackson’s previous work includes his best-selling book Prosperity without Growth which was translated into 18 languages and his ground-breaking report on The False Economy of Big Food for the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.
