The Infinite
Debt Problem
How to Replace Perpetual Growth with Productive Prosperity. Learn more.
The Infinite Debt Problem
How to Replace Perpetual Growth with Productive Prosperity
Ylia Callan
2026-08-12
Economics • Public Finance • Policy
979-8-23578-956-2
PDF • EPUB • Audiobook
1.0.0
Book Description
The financial system demands endless growth on a finite planet. A $100 loan at 5% becomes $13,000 in a century. The solution? The Productivity Bond – a revolutionary instrument that rewards efficiency, not expansion. This is the blueprint for a sustainable financial future.
We have built a financial system that makes promises about an unlimited future on a planet with limits. That's the contradiction at the heart of modern finance. Global debt has climbed from $50 trillion to over $300 trillion in four decades – an exponential curve. Meanwhile, resource extraction is flattening. Two lines, two opposing stories. The gap between them is The Infinite Debt Problem.
This isn't a doom-and-gloom book. It's a practical, market-based solution and redesign for the financial system itself. Replace fixed-rate sovereign debt – which demands perpetual growth – with the Productivity Bond, an instrument whose return is linked to measurable improvements in efficiency.
⚡ How the Productivity Bond Works
- ✓ CPI‑linked
- ✓ Share of NPI gains
- ✓ Real floor 0%
- ✓ Cap 5%
- ✓ Countercyclical
- ✓ Principal adjustment
🤖 The AI Paradox
AI could vault us over the Four Walls (demographic, productivity, resource, ecological) – or break the financial system by concentrating wealth and breaking the link between work and income. The Productivity Dividend ensures everyone benefits from the AI revolution.
🔑 Key Themes
🎧 Audiobook
📘 Appendices
📖 Read the full appendices in HTML format – or download the PDF.
🎧 Audiobook Editions
Explore the Tools
Interactive calculators to help you understand your financial and personal wellbeing.
📊 NPI Index Tracker
Track the National Productivity Index (NPI) with real‑world data from 47 countries. See how efficiently an economy turns labour, energy, materials, and capital into value.
Global Vital Signs Dashboard
Track 14+ key indicators of planetary and societal health – climate (CO₂, temperature), economy (GDP, debt), and social conditions (poverty, infant mortality). Updated live from public APIs.
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The concepts and models in this book are brought to life through interactive simulations and detailed reference materials. Explore the model in action or dive into the technical specifications.
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