Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age

by Michael H. Shuman

Designed to appeal to both activists and public officials, this guide proposes a home-grown, community-based economic strategy meant to revive local marketplaces while allowing those small towns to serve the needs of a wide range of citizens. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Economics, Sustainability, Nonfiction, Environment, Ecology

306 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. He’s Director of Local Economy Programs for Neighborhood Associates Corporation, and an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City. He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire and Local Analytics, where he performed economic development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America.

He is credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding. He has authored, coauthored, or edited ten books. His three most recent books are Put Your Money Where Your Life Is: How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs; The Local Economy Solution: How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity; and Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street.

One of his previous books, The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006), received a bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006. A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 30 years in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I think it was a good book. A nice introduction and expansion of what it means to "go local". The book is short on details though and reads as pie in the sky wishful thinking.

My big issue with the book is that Shuman advocates for more local power and smaller units of government, but glosses over the dangers of parochialism. Call me a cynic, but I just don't believe that people are as good natured as Shuman does. Smaller government may be closer to citizens, but that doesn't mean that citizens will behave better. Towns all over this country enact exclusionary and self-serving laws. Before local control can hope to fix anything, the fundamental inequalities that exist in this country must be addressed. Home-rule authority is already used to protect the wealthy; they don't need more tools to keep poor people out of their communities.

Overall, the book felt like it was just skimming the surface. Granted, it is not an academic piece and is clearly written for the lay reader. Still, I'd like to have seen a more nuanced and critical look at the issue. A good tool to get people interested in wresting control from big business, but one that should be accompanied by further research on the part of the reader.

[Dameon Launert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't share the author's embrace of capitalism, economic growth, or the myth of progress. Yet, despite these ideological differences he offers convincing arguments for localizing economies, politics, and energy, and helpful suggestions for achieving them.

The appendix of related organizations is comprehensive and sorted by topic.

[Perez Malone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I think it was a good book. A nice introduction and expansion of what it means to "go local". The book is short on details though and reads as pie in the sky wishful thinking.

My big issue with the book is that Shuman advocates for more local power and smaller units of government, but glosses over the dangers of parochialism. Call me a cynic, but I just don't believe that people are as good natured as Shuman does. Smaller government may be closer to citizens, but that doesn't mean that citizens will behave better. Towns all over this country enact exclusionary and self-serving laws. Before local control can hope to fix anything, the fundamental inequalities that exist in this country must be addressed. Home-rule authority is already used to protect the wealthy; they don't need more tools to keep poor people out of their communities.

Overall, the book felt like it was just skimming the surface. Granted, it is not an academic piece and is clearly written for the lay reader. Still, I'd like to have seen a more nuanced and critical look at the issue. A good tool to get people interested in wresting control from big business, but one that should be accompanied by further research on the part of the reader.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic for me and the work I do. Shuman is a great writer for NOW.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy is preaching the gospel, billions in lobbying and PR notwithstanding. It's mostly still relevant, except that there are references to President Clinton and to Enron (pre-scandal).