The Wound and the Blessing ─ Economics, Relationships, and Happiness

"The Wound and the Blessing is the kind of work that is urgently needed … Bruni wants to affirm relatively free markets, but do it by placing them in the larger context of, and operate them for the benefit of, the inherently relational character of human life, including acknowledging the risks – the “wounds” – that come with those relationships … Bruni's argument ignores (and transcends) more American ways of framing these issues, and lays bare the “traps” in both free market (largely Republican) and social equity (largely Democratic) approaches … because both have been trapped in the narrow box of Modern individualism. Bruni's work is a contribution to [the emerging asset-based community development] movement to re-think not only economics, but more deeply, how we understand human beings and our need for a common life with relational density in order to flourish."
Carol Johnston, Christian Theological Seminary, in Claritas: Journal of Dialogue & Culture