History can teach us a lot about how to live better in the present. Rarely does one hear any reference to past mistakes or even the past successes that could best resolve our current problems. In the world of capitalist economics this country has decided to embrace the “me” rather than the “we”. Granted capitalism is about individual freedom to prosper and private ownership but, as in all economic systems, short-sightedness and greed can skew the results to the detriment of the economy as a whole. Past periods of prosperity provide a fundamental roadmap to maneuver through the mess we are in and if we are too busy amassing our personal fortunes to scour the history books, we need only look to Germany’s success in this age of recession for guidance and encouragement.