Events

The People of the Abyss (1903) is a book by Jack London (1876-1916) about life in the East End of London in 1902. He wrote this first-hand account by living in the East End for several months, sometimes staying in workhouses or sleeping on the streets. The conditions he experienced and wrote about were the same as those endured by an estimated 500,000 of the contemporary London poor.  Decades later, this book inspired George Orwell to write Down and Out in Paris and London.

A bit late to be a contemporary of Henry George, Jack London lived mainly in northern California  and was a passionate advocate of workers’ rights. Both London and George were members of Bohemian Grove.

(source: Wikipedia)

The People of the Abyss is available free on line as text from Gutenberg, and as an audiobook from LibriVox, as well as in hardcopy from various libraries and book dealers.

Political Economy Book Club is open to everyone wishing to participate in the discussion, without charge altho donations are appreciated to help pay for rent and snacks. Convenor Bob Matter appreciates an RSVP from those planning to attend.

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont were sent by the French government to study the American prison system. In his later letters Tocqueville indicates that he and Beaumont used their official business as a pretext to study American society instead. They arrived in New York City in May of that year and spent nine months traveling the United States, studying the prisons, and collecting information on American society, including its religious, political, and economic character.

— Wikipedia

Democracy in America was one of the products of this trip. It’s available in several translations, some free such as this one and this one, also free in audio format.  On March 29, the Political Economy Book Club will discuss volume 1.

PEBC meetings are free and open to everyone who has read and wishes to talk about the book under discussion. Convenor Bob Matter appreciates an RSVP if possible.

A subsequent meeting will discuss volume 2

Between 1948 and 1973, Americans’ real wages rose almost as fast as their productivity. After 1973, productivity grew 147% but wages rose only 19%. This raises two questions:

(1) If workers getting less, who is getting more?

(2) Is there a way to restore the balance?

To solve the problem of poverty, and the many other problems that follow from it, ordinary workers need higher wages. George Menninger describes how to raise wages without interfering in the free market and without taking anyone’s earnings.

George Menninger is an instructor at the Henry George School of Chicago, and attendees at this free program will have the opportunity to sign up for his Progress & Poverty course.

You can sign up for this free event thru Eventbrite, or RSVP directly by email.

Between 1948 and 1973, Americans’ real wages rose almost as fast as their productivity. After 1973, productivity grew 147% but wages rose only 19%. This raises two questions:

(1) If workers getting less, who is getting more?

(2) Is there a way to restore the balance?

To solve the problem of poverty, and the many other problems that follow from it, ordinary workers need higher wages. George Menninger describes how to raise wages without interfering in the free market and without taking anyone’s earnings.

George Menninger is an instructor at the Henry George School of Chicago, and attendees at this free program will have the opportunity to sign up for his Progress & Poverty course.

No  reservation is required, but you can let us know  by email that you’re coming.

Between 1948 and 1973, Americans’ real wages rose almost as fast as their productivity. After 1973, productivity grew 147% but wages rose only 19%. This raises two questions:

(1) If workers getting less, who is getting more?

(2) Is there a way to restore the balance?

To solve the problem of poverty, and the many other problems that follow from it, ordinary workers need higher wages. George Menninger describes how to raise wages without interfering in the free market and without taking anyone’s earnings.

George Menninger is an instructor at the Henry George School of Chicago, and attendees at this free program will have the opportunity to sign up for his Progress & Poverty course.

No  reservation is required, but you can let us know  by email that you’re coming.

Yes, it is possible to end poverty in America — or any independent nation — by recognizing a clear and logical distinction between private property and community property. Not just the poor, but everyone would have the opportunity to earn a decent living and enjoy better quality of life. Henry George, a prominent American philosopher and economist of the late 19th century, was the most prominent advocate of this reform. His book on the subject, Progress & Poverty, was probably the best-selling nonfiction work of his time, sparked a movement which brought prosperity to several American communities and foreign countries.

Introducing Progress & Poverty is a program by the Henry George School of Chicago, outlining the principles George advocated, how and why they work, and their potential for solving today’s problems in this city and elsewhere.  This program will next be presented on Tuesday, October 10, 6PM to 8PM in the Chicago loop. Attendance is without charge or obligation.  An extended course is also available for those interested.

We regret that due to management practices at the building, we must require pre-registration by email or phone (312 450-2906). If you are interested in the topic but this date and location don’t fit your schedule, please sign up for our announcement list. Also note that the program will be repeated in Edgewater on Sunday afternoon, October 29.

Yes, it is possible to end poverty in America — or any independent nation — by recognizing a clear and logical distinction between private property and community property. Not just the poor, but everyone would have the opportunity to earn a decent living and enjoy better quality of life. Henry George, a prominent American philosopher and economist of the late 19th century, was the most prominent advocate of this reform. His book on the subject, Progress & Poverty, was probably the best-selling nonfiction work of his time, sparked a movement which brought prosperity to several American communities and foreign countries.

Introducing Progress & Poverty is a program by the Henry George School of Chicago, outlining the principles George advocated, how and why they work, and their potential for solving today’s problems in this city and elsewhere.  We’ll present this program on Sunday afternoon, October 29, 3PM to 5PM in the Edgewater neighborhood on Chicago’s north side. Attendance is without charge or obligation.  An extended course is also available for those interested.

Pre-registration by email is encouraged, but not required if space is available.  If you are interested in the topic but this date and location don’t fit your schedule, please sign up for our announcement list. Also note that the same program will be presented October 10 at a loop location.

Yes, it is possible to end poverty in America — or any independent nation — by recognizing a clear and logical distinction between private property and community property. Not just the poor, but everyone would have the opportunity to earn a decent living and enjoy better quality of life. Henry George, a prominent American philosopher and economist of the late 19th century, was the most prominent advocate of this reform. His book on the subject, Progress & Poverty, was probably the best-selling nonfiction work of his time, sparked a movement which brought prosperity to several American communities and foreign countries.

Introducing Progress & Poverty is a program by the Henry George School of Chicago, outlining the principles George advocated, how and why they work, and their potential for solving today’s problems in this city and elsewhere.  We’ll present this program on Thursday afternoon, January 4, at 1PM at 300 Dodge in Evanston (CTA routes 93 and 97 stop nearby). Attendance is without charge or obligation.  An extended course is also available for those interested, with sessions starting January 16 at the Evanston Public Library and January 18 in the loop.

Pre-registration by email or thru Eventbrite is encouraged, but not required if space is available.  If you are interested in the topic but this date and location don’t fit your schedule, please sign up for our announcement list. Also note that a slightly expanded version of the same program will be presented January 11 at a loop location.

Yes, it is possible to end poverty in America — or any independent nation — by recognizing a clear and logical distinction between private property and community property. Not just the poor, but everyone would have the opportunity to earn a decent living and enjoy better quality of life. Henry George, a prominent American philosopher and economist of the late 19th century, was the most prominent advocate of this reform. His book on the subject, Progress & Poverty, was probably the best-selling nonfiction work of his time, sparked a movement which brought prosperity to several American communities and foreign countries.

Introducing Progress & Poverty is a program by the Henry George School of Chicago, outlining the principles George advocated, how and why they work, and their potential for solving today’s problems in this city and elsewhere.  We’ll present this program on Thursday, January 11, at 6:15PM. Attendance is without charge or obligation.

An extended course is also available for those interested, with sessions starting January 16 at the Evanston Public Library and January 18 in the Loop.

Due to building access restrictions you MUST pre-register using the Eventbrite link, or by email or by phone.   If you are interested in the topic but this date and location don’t fit your schedule, please sign up for our announcement list. Also note that a slightly expanded version of the same program will be presented January 11 at a loop location.