Exporting Prosperity

A frustrated business owner offers his analysis of the problems facing the United States economy and a range of possible solutions.

In this overview of the American political economy, Boudreau’s debut work targets the trade deficit as one of the primary drivers of recent economic downturns, though government inefficiency, unreasonable consumer expectations and other factors share the blame. After leading the reader through his analysis, backed by data gathered from several government agencies, Boudreau offers his prescriptions for future growth, which include further developing solar power, renewing American commitment to buying American-made products, overhauling the political system and creating sustainable jobs that will allow the middle class to thrive. While the author often notes in textual asides that he wants to avoid political discussions in his book, libertarians will appreciate many of his recommendations. Boudreau introduces interesting concepts and ideas, like refocusing on local manufacturing, but readers may have trouble following the arguments through their unpolished presentation. Abundant quotation marks, repeated punctuation and ellipses distract (“I am not ‘talking out of both sides of my mouth’ by here pointing the finger at a ‘nebulous entity’ ”; “What about all those people that aren’t working, that cannot qualify for unemployment??? What about those people that have exhausted their benefits???”), and many authorial comments seem more suited to a rough draft than a finished book (“blah, blah, blah...I have an MBA and can do the same math”; “OK, the sarcasm may be a bit ‘over the top,’ but having experienced first-hand the ineffectiveness, ineptness and total waste of space of these departments, I chose to exercise my 1st Amendment rights...”). The author is clearly passionate about his subject, but his enthusiasm often inhibits the creation of a logical and well-written argument. An unpolished economic prescription for the United States based on data, speculation and anecdotes.