Gratitude and References

Written By Ed Kless

This work would not have been possible without the insight, courage, and vision of the many thinkers who have shaped our understanding. Their contributions illuminate the path we now walk and deepen the questions we ask.

On the Progression of Economic Value

We are deeply indebted to B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, authors of The Experience Economy (1999 and subsequent editions), for introducing the Progression of Economic Value, culminating in Transformations. Joe Pine’s forthcoming book, The Transformation Economy (expected February 2026), continues this profound framework and has significantly shaped the purpose of this Revelation. For more information, consult: https://transformationsbook.substack.com, https://strategichorizons.com

On the Soul of the Market

Our thinking is steeped in the work of George Gilder, whose Wealth & Poverty (1981) and Life After Capitalism (2023) offer a bold vision of entrepreneurial creativity. His 1997 Vatican address, The Soul of Silicon(https://georgegilder.org/1997/05/01/the-soul-of-silicon/) helped inspire this Revelation. Gilder’s articulation of profit as an index of altruism and enterprise as a spiritual calling is foundational to our worldview.

On Moral Injury

Section III draws insight from Dr. Wendy Dean and Dr. Simon Talbott, whose book If I Betray These Words (2023) redefined “burnout” as moral injury. Their organization, Moral Injury in Healthcare, is doing transformational work to restore moral clarity to helping professions. We believe their diagnosis has implications far beyond medicine and offers a clearer path to healing. For more information, consult: https://fixmoralinjury.org

On Vocation and Work as Calling

Section IV is indebted to Michael Novak and his luminous book, Business as a Calling (1996), which reframes work as a moral act and a path toward the examined life. Section V is shaped by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, whose teaching on the Hebrew word avodah—work, worship, and service as one—transformed our understanding of labor’s sacred potential (https://rabbidaniellapin.com). Also influential is David L. Bahnsen’s Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life (2024), which dismantles the work-life balance myth.

On Free Markets

In Section VIII, we offer a defense of free enterprise over “stakeholder capitalism.” Our thinking is grounded in the classical liberal tradition—Milton Friedman, Thomas Sowell, David Friedman, Steven Landsburg, Deirdre N. McCloskey, Russ Roberts, among others—who show why the price system is the most just and effective resource allocator. We are especially grateful to R. David McLean, whose The Case for Shareholder Capitalism (2023) clarifies the public benefits of profit and clears the air around corporate finance.

To Our Early Readers and Contributors

We are grateful to the friends, colleagues, and fellow travelers who read early drafts and offered challenge, encouragement, and insight:

Ed Kless
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