Because he believes that universities "no longer provide the time and funding they once gave to original thinkers," professor Steve Keen has turned to a crowdfunding source to pay his salary.
His goal: To raise $10,000 USD per month so that he can take a partial break from his job at Kingston University in the UK. During that time, he hopes to be able to finish the third edition of his book, Debunking Economics, and also compose some new videos for his YouTube channel, which boasts over 10,000 subscribers.
As Keen explains on his crowdfunding site at Patreon.com, university funding for his type of work has simply dried up.
"It's so bad now that the best way for me to have the time and resources to build a new economics is to leave the University sector, and get supported directly by the public," he writes.
Keen goes on to say that people all over the world are asking for a more practical form of economics that might help society work its way out of its current "economic mess." Those who wish to support his efforts can donate the token amount of $1 per month in order to receive exclusive videos, blog posts, and podcasts.
Feeling more generous? A mere $2 more per month more gets the basic content as well as e-books of a couple of satirical comics and some future content. $10 per month yields some additional twice-weekly podcasts and a graphic novel. $30 per month gets the giver an autographed paperback copy of Keen's book as well as signed copies of all future paperback books.
As of mid-March, Keen had 230 patrons pledging nearly $2,000 per month.
