TIME DOLLARS: A Currency for the Nineties

A retired secretary types poetry written by a neighbor with multiple sclerosis, and the neighbor repays her by reading the newspaper to the secretary's blind daughter. Elsewhere, a retired teacher tutors a 12-year-old boy in English and he mows her lawn periodically."" Those are just two of the many ways in which Cahn, an attorney, and Rowe, a writer for The Christian Science Monitor, envision ""Time Dollars""--units of service-oriented barter currency--working to foster mutual aid within communities. The Time Dollars program, which the authors see as a complement to, and not competitor with, the money-powered general economy, is already in place in various communities and organizations in San Antonio, Florida, Hawaii, and elsewhere. Elegantly simple in conception--help others with, say, two hours of service and you've got two Time Dollars that you can spend for two hours of service by others for you--the program, the authors believe, has the potential to significantly improve many Americans' lives. Strong arguments to back up this belief (e.g., that Time Dollars allow the elderly to contribute to society) are included here, as well as provocative proposals for specific Time Dollar applications (e.g., as a student-aid/loan forgiveness program), and, thankfully, clear and detailed instructions on how to set up a Time Dollar program in your organization or community. A potentially life-changing book, then, with an exciting promise well worth checking out.