Beyond the Sharing Economy

The topic is unfortuantely overly discussed in an almost routine way in our world today: the sharing economy, the good that it does, who is in it, and who is against it. Yet even the definition of what is the sharing economy is pretty fuzzy. On today’s podcast the subject is the sharing economy and growth, what happens when these often interesting and beneficial services grow into global empires? Where does the human and society fit into this equation that is so focused on earning income by tapping into untapped resources in every day life?

Talk by Yochai Benkler “Challenges of the Sharing Economy” for the World Economic Forum

Comments by Bahairavi Desai on the Laura Flanders Show “Uber, Wal-mart on Wheels?”

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Learning without Schools

Photo by Bre Pettis, http://brepettis.com

It is often assumed that in order to be successful and realize your dreams you must go to university. Year after year people of all ages apply to institutions of higher education and go to great lengths to afford the high costs that come with such schools.  Increasingly people are realizing that the costs to attend such schools far outweigh the benefits.  Beyond that, with the dawn of interest networks online and the availability of information and instruction, there is a real opportunity to learn what you want to learn, without going back to school.

Kio Stark is a grad school dropout who loves to learn.  As an author and inquisitive mind, her writing and research has brought her to the topic of informal learning. How does it work? what do different informal learners do to meet their goal and stay focused? These questions and more are part of a new book she has proposed to be published next year: “Don’t Go Back to School – A Handbook for Learning Anything.”

To make it even more interesting, Kio has put the proposal for the book up on kickstarter as a project which people can choose to support financially with the promise of being credited, receiving a copy of the book, and more. What is a refreshing new approach to education is matched by an innovative new approach to funding your work.

How did this project begin? What experiences has Kio had that led to her interest in learning outside of schools? These topics and more are explored in our podcast together. Give it a listen.

Support and Read more about Kio’s Project “Don’t Go Back to School” which has generated a fantastic outpouring of backers.

Her novel “Follow Me Down” available now.