This is a captivating and thought-provoking book that conveys a serious message and is suitable for all those who are not content with the status quo but are eager to understand and make a difference! - Clemens Graf von Hoyos, best-selling author and etiquette expert
"At last, there is a book that doesn't use more complex words to describe our complex world. It's concise and clear!" - Florian Pachaly, founder of RECUP

How can we rethink our economic system so that it better serves the people again and takes into account the needs of everyone? Selina explains this in her book in plain language and points out that "goals above profits" should be given top priority. - Dirk Kanah, member of the GLS Bank Board.

This is a book about economy and people, which is closely related to each of us. We now need to discuss what the new forms of cooperation and joint trade should be like. This book provides the impetus for this. - Henrike Schlottmann, Managing Director of ProjectTogether and Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2021

Salina's way of dissecting mainstream economic logic impressed me deeply - it is both accessible and convincing. - Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, climate and systems expert, founder of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

"Which should survive: humanity or capitalism? Anyone who wants to continue relying on this unbridled, destructive growth system while ignoring the limits of the Earth's resources should definitely not read this excellent book!" - Political journalist Tilo Jung (Rowohlt Verlag)

This book is not a self-help book that promises quick fixes. It offers a space for reflection, is unsettling, vividly described, yet surprisingly easy to understand. ——Monika Hermeling, Pagewizz

This book enables you to master complex systems with ease, without leaving you feeling drowsy or giving you a headache. — Andreas Klämer, Falter Magazine

"Concise, easy to understand, and with clear viewpoints." - Salome Haber, Human Resources Manager

I originally thought I was reading an economics book.
But when I actually read Selina Spiegel's book, suddenly it felt like she was talking about me, about all of us, about what we call economics –
but in fact, it's also about relationships, power, identity, and decision-making.
I couldn't help but ask myself: What if economics is not just a system, but also a reflection of our inner maturity?
She points out that economics is not neutral,
nor is it "external",
but rather a collective product of our thinking patterns, evaluation criteria, and worldviews.
Selina's book finally fulfills our long-held wish:
it combines systematic criticism with raising public awareness.
She doesn't just think about economics from an analytical perspective, but from a human perspective.
She points out that the problem is not economics itself,
but our collective thinking and behavioral patterns.
The most brilliant part is that
Selina doesn't use dry theoretical terms,
but explains it through insightful everyday scenarios, unexpected questions,
and thought-provoking, reflective language.
Yes – she interviewed me for Chapter Four.
For years, I have been studying the vertical development map of the ten stages of inner maturity of personality.
But what she created with this map is something I rarely experience:
easy to understand, profound in meaning, and most importantly, full of vitality.
She describes the inner camps that shape our economic behavior:
◎ Self-centered group thinkers;
◎ Expert thinkers who pursue extreme optimization;
◎ Self-creators who make independent decisions;
◎ Pioneers who can maintain a diverse perspective.
Suddenly,
you will look at your meetings, your strategies, your entire leadership style from a new perspective.
You will identify various patterns and automatic reactions. These patterns
exist not only in the business world, but also within yourself.
The revolutionary aspect of this book is that:
Selina points out that true change does not start with new tools,
but with your inner thinking patterns.
It starts with the question:
What economic habits do I unconsciously follow every day?
This book is not a textbook, but a book that enlightens the mind.
It doesn't help you think, but invites you to think in a different way.
Not just about economics, but about your role in economics.
Just as Selina so charmingly and ingeniously asks:
"Would you be proud of yourself at the age of 9?
Would you feel at ease at the age of 90?"
If you want to give an affirmative answer,
then read this book.
Don't delay, start now.
— Marion Quaas-Reinhard, Co-founder of CoCreative Team, as a partner in agile and systemic transformation, supports top management decision-makers.

In this book, Selina Spiegel presents complex issues with clarity and engaging language. The book begins by posing a question that troubles many: Why is it so hard for us to escape the "hamster wheel" of overwork and daily chores? At the same time, we hear calls for collective efforts to get the economy back on track. This leaves many people confused: How can this goal be achieved?
Selina raises a crucial question that Maya Goppel has also repeatedly explored: What is all this for? What beliefs do we hold about "work"? What is the definition of a good life? What does prosperity mean? What is the purpose of our efforts? She then delves into the fact that "many of the problems we face today are design flaws that make our lives difficult." She explains our economic system in an accessible and captivating way and highlights existing approaches that can lead to better outcomes for people, society, and the planet: doughnut economics, the economy of the common good, the economy of well-being, the circular economy, and more. She outlines the potential benefits of this shift in perspective and proposes over a dozen solutions. Some of these methods have become regular topics of public debate and have gained widespread public support, but have not received sufficient attention in political decision-making.
Selina Spiegel's work is highly relevant and timely, offering new perspectives and inspiration. What if we took these ideas seriously? What if we acknowledged that complex problems often lack simple solutions, and precisely because of this, we should take them seriously? What if we could create a fair society and leave a habitable natural world for future generations? What if we could broaden our horizons?
——Amazon reviews

★ "Would you be proud of yourself at the age of 9? Would you feel at ease at the age of 90?" This enlightening work is an economics book centered on "people", discussing not only economics but also all of us. It not only analyzes economics from an analytical perspective but also from a humanistic one, reminding us of the economic habits we unconsciously follow every day, the economic conveniences we use or lose, and how we can get rid of the overloaded "economic hamster wheel" that we and society are carrying.
★ Easy to understand, profound insights, brilliant and refreshing! This book directly addresses the core of global issues, using personification, visualization and other knowledge transformation techniques to discuss highly academic economic topics in simple, clear and humorous language and illustrations, inviting readers to think in different ways. It will be an economics book you have never read before and a zero-threshold reading material for those who have never been interested in economics.
★ 996(a common work system in China's internet industry requiring employees to work from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily, 6 days a week), being busy but poor, loneliness, burnout, climate anxiety, ecological collapse... All "modern diseases" are brought back to the same line - economic rules. The author invites neoclassicalism, post-Keynesianism, institutional economics, environmental economics and others to "personally" enter the scene, offering readers 10 possible "economic remedies" that may work, vividly explaining the rules of the economics game - only by understanding the rules can one upgrade the game rules.

The only two people who truly have a say in your life are：
yourself at the age of nine - full of dreams and curiosity,
and yourself at the age of ninety - shaped by fulfilled and broken dreams, right and wrong choices.
They two are looking after your life. The child within you hopes you have the courage to forge your own path. The future you hopes you have loved, laughed, and built connections, and lived a good life. Ultimately, what matters is to live in the present, to make the younger you proud and the older you at ease. Why do we often lose the courage to pursue our dreams? We start with hope, but often get trapped in a vicious cycle of work, self-improvement, and exhaustion, while for many, the hope of prosperity and security seems increasingly distant. How can a society that maintains a system that tolerates burnout, inequality, loneliness, and environmental destruction claim to be progressive? The answer lies in the rules of the game we follow. Our economic system is not designed to promote happiness, social justice, or sustainable development. Its ultimate goal is economic growth - higher, faster, further - without considering whether it benefits our entire society. Wouldn't it be great if we could create an economic model that makes the child within us proud and the mature self at ease? We can do better. It's time to upgrade the rules of the game.
Does this sound like a romantic utopia? For an increasing number of people, it does.
When burnout and loneliness become the norm, the natural environment is being destroyed, and more and more people can't afford rent, how can we call this a progressive life? This system is running worse and worse, yet we hardly dare to think critically about it. Selina Spiegel exposes the outdated economic myths and asks the fundamental question, "Why is this so?" She reveals how a boy band from the last century has continuously influenced our economic worldview and offers suggestions on how to upgrade this system in a wise, creative, and humanized way.
Hello, reader. What do you need?
Can you understand economics without an economics degree?
Learn about the origins of mainstream economic thought?
Do you know why economic growth doesn't necessarily mean everyone will be wealthier?
Want to know about the planetary boundaries as a measure?
Learn and understand the basic principles of systems thinking: why it's so important in the 21st century?
Understand the relationship between inner development and outer development (and not just in terms of health food store and yoga jargon)?
Want to know what better ideas are out there currently?
Reading (non-fiction) books doesn't take too much effort, does it?
Well, this book can do all of that. Are you getting interested now?

Selina Spiegel
Selina Spiegel studied international business and public administration in Bayreuth and London. She is passionate about economic transformation and systems thinking. She has worked in various fields, from founding a start-up in the food industry to serving in the transformation policy department of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Currently, as a member of the non-profit organization ProjectTogether, she is dedicated to building a new narrative framework for the circular economy.
Educational Background:
Master of Public Administration in Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value, University College London
Bachelor of International Economics and Development, University of Bayreuth
Volunteer Experience:
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany
Munich Branch of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community
Awards:
Bavarian Elite Academy Foundation Scholarship
UCL Global Master's Scholarship