He was impressed by Jackson's reflections on the stagnant period during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which increasing resources have been put into social well-being, and that the author took it as a preview to think about the do's and don'ts in a possible post-growth society.

Zhang Hong, deputy general manager of China Publishing Group Corp, the parent company of China Translation and Publishing House, which is responsible for the release, says that Jackson's problem-oriented work has inspired us that economic books can also be written in a lively way with humanistic and social care.

During the seminar following the book launch, former officials and scholars from the energy, environment and economics sectors talked about potential new models for development in a post-pandemic era.

They not only pointed out the great importance China has attached to sustainable development and ecological civilizations, as well as its resolution to transit to a green economy and achieve carbon neutrality, but also traced the theoretical origins of these ideas.

Particularly, several scholars emphasized that, apart from introspecting into the consequences of industrial civilization, it's also meaningful to borrow wisdom from traditional Chinese culture and thinking to deepen our understanding of modern ecological civilization.