The collection of articles "Small is Beautiful" (1973) by the outstanding British economist of German origin E.F. Schumacher (1911-1977) offers a revolutionary view of the economic structure of the Western world. Schumacher argues that the human desire for profit and progress, which leads to the formation of giant organizations and to increasing specialization, actually turns into economic inefficiency, environmental pollution and inhuman working conditions. It challenges the doctrine of economic, technological, and scientific specialization and proposes a system of "intermediate techniques" based on small working units, new ownership relationships, and the use of local labor and resources. This book was the inspiration for the Buy Local and Fair Trade social movements. She was awarded the prestigious European Charles Vayon Prize for Essay and was included in the Times Literary Supplement list of the hundred most influential books published after World War II.