As is usual with Michael Perelman's books, apparently, "The Perverse Economy" deals with two different issues at the same time. On the one hand, he discusses and criticizes the mainstream economic views related to natural resources, the ecology, and sustainability. On the other, Perelman addresses the causes of inequality and the inefficiency of markets in a simple, introductory manner, focusing in particular upon the importance of taking temporality into account, known as discounting.

The benefit of Perelman's style is that it is very easy reading. He takes the time to explain every concept, uses hardly any jargon, avoids all technical discussions, and makes extensive use of examples from history and current events. On the other hand, much of the book is not new to those who are beyond the novice stage in radical economics, and just like in "The Invention of Capitalism", his two threads of thought are never really woven together. Both issues are explained in a succinct and accessible manner by Perelman, but their connection is not made clear, and he could have worked both out to a separate book on their own instead.

Nevertheless, this book serves as a good popular introduction to the problems associated with market economies, and is useful for those with little knowledge of economics or (radical) history. ( )