I am reading through Charles Eisentstein’s Ascent of Humanity on the 35 minute bus ride every day back and forth from work. This is one of the most important books I’ve ever read for several reasons: timing, content and personal context.

Starting with the fundamental misconception of humanity, that the problems of society have arisen from the individual notion of human seperation from nature, Charles combines the most accurate description of the true human condition, seperate from dogma and bias. From my own experience and knowledge, I find it hard to dispute any of the observations that I’ve read in the book so far.

I’m on page 280 or so and as I read up to page 500 I will type up the notes that I jot down every few days.

1. humans have become the intermediate step in the technological program that convert natural capital into financial capital, merely cogs in the machine
2. the net present value of an eternal annual cash flow of $1 trillion is only $20 million @ a 5% discount rate
3. economically it would be more rational to destroy the planet in 10 years to generate a $100 trillion income than getting $3 trillion indefinately
4. interest is the basis of modern competition ensuring that someone will always be left out in the economic game of musical chairs
5. a credit score is just a number that quantifies your ability to compete in the modern monetary system
6. our “winners” [the CEO's, athletes and such] have maximizes rational “self-interest” only to find the promise of secure happiness betrayed

#6 was particularly interesting to me today because I was listening to a discussion on NPR’s Talk of the Nation last week regarding “Who should make the most money?”. Guest Ron Shapiro was interviewed, the guy that negotiated A-Rod’s contract. Ron referred to the fact that all the money didn’t make A-rod as happy as he thought.