Economic Dependency Trap: Breaking Free to Self-Reliance

by Calvin Helin

2012 gold medal winner in the self-help category of the prestigious Ippy Awards
This book offers effective strategies to help erase poverty. It advocates self-reliance, policy reform, and cultural awareness. Accountability is required from all: the middle class, the trust fund babies, and the underprivileged who see themselves as perpetual victims and have fallen into the entitlement trap. True blue prints are offered to rescue people from an economical slump and help them improve their lives, and re-obtain a sense of self-worth.

Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Calvin Helin, a member of the Tsimshian Nation, comes from the community of Lax Kw’alaams on the Northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada. The son of a hereditary chief, Helin works as an attorney and entrepreneur. He has written several publications on law, Aboriginal business, and associated issues, and has developed an international reputation through his best-selling book, Dances with Dependency: Out of Poverty through Self-Reliance, originally published in 2006.

Helin is also the award-winning author of The Economic Dependency Trap: Breaking Free to Self-Reliance. He won the following honors for this ground-breaking book:

•Finalist, USA Best Books Award, Self-Help category


•Gold medalist (tie), IPPY Awards, Self-Help category


•Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, General Nonfiction category


•Finalist, COVR Visionary Awards, General Interest/Self-Help category


Helin runs business enterprises that include the Eagle Group of Companies, LLC, and the Native Investment and Trade Association. He holds a directorship on the Vancouver Board of Trade, GeoScience BC, and the Canada–China Resource Development Foundation. He has received top “40 Under 40” awards for both British Columbia and nationally for Canada. He has served as chairman of a recent Aboriginal trade delegation to China and introduced an innovative business model to promote long-term benefits to Aboriginal people from natural resource development.

Helin also serves as president and advisory board member of the SOS Children’s Village. He teaches at the Shudokan Karate and Education Society, a group he founded in 2002 that provides free martial arts lessons to disadvantaged inner-city children as a way of teaching them discipline, manners, self-respect, and other important life lessons.

Reviews

[Bruce D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good follow up to Dances with Dependency

Although written many years ago, this book is still valuable (and ignored) today. The focus is primarily on convincing individuals to become economically independent by taking responsibility for their own fate and improving what they can, step by step.
He points out that government programs to reduce poverty have in fact correlated with increased poverty, so we desperately need to try a new strategy.
There author attempts to be motivational and inspiring so the readers learn they can improve their own life, without waiting for existing systems, possible systemic issues notwithstanding, to be addressed.
Since the good wishes of progressive causes, from FDR, LBJ, on down have not shown that governments’ providing handouts actually help outcomes (for impoverished nations, states/provinces, individuals), the alternative views of this author are worth reading and perhaps even putting into practice.
One important thing is education, at least to the high school level. Post secondary education in a trade or academic area would be better. But the most important thing the author highlights is responsibility.
Avoid victim mentality, a powerful message for today and into the future.

[Al VanNostrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm willing to help

Anyone with an interest in making our world a better place. It should be required reading for all elected officials.