Foreword / by Bill McKibben -- Introduction / by Peter Barnes -- Theory. Our hidden wealth -- How tragic is the commons? -- A new commons story -- A parallel economy -- Stop the invasions! -- The myopia of money -- Human nature and the commons -- Common property -- Takers and givers -- The community of goods -- Conservative commoners, once. Practice. Accounting for common wealth -- Tollbooths of the mind -- Subsistence from the commons -- Build it and they will sit -- Sidewalks of the Information Age -- Reallocating time -- Time banking -- Who owns the beach? -- From alleys to commons -- New institutions needed -- Seeds of a commons movement. Afterword / by David Bollier.

"A huge part of our economy is invisible, invaluable, and under siege. This is "the commons," a term that denotes everything we share. Some parts of the commons are gifts of nature: the air and oceans, the web of species, wilderness, and watersheds. Others are the product of human creativity and endeavor: sidewalks and public spaces, the Internet, our languages, cultures, and technologies. Jonathan Rowe illuminates the scale and value of the commons, its symbiotic relationship with the rest of our economy, its importance to our personal and planetary well-being, and how it is threatened by privatization and neglect. He unifies many seemingly disparate struggles-- against pollution, excessive development, corporate marketing to children, and more-- with the force of this powerful idea. And he calls for new institutions that create a durable balance between the commons and the profit-seeking side of our economy."--Back cover.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-108) and index.