In my opinion John Michael Greer's "The Long Descent" is the most realistic and most hopeful take on this vein of thinking and writing. It is also a well-written and easy to read book. The main takeaway is that our situation is not a problem with a solution, but rather a predicament or situation with various coping mechanisms.
However I should point out that JMG points to different root causes of "decline". His core thesis is that Peak Oil and net-energy / net-resource growth not meeting demand are the main determining factors in our shrinking economy. His hopeful response to this scenario is that although there will be far fewer jobs, there will be much more work.
http://www.newsociety.com/Books/L/The-Long-Descent