Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis

English language

Published Sept. 26, 2017

ISBN:
978-1-78663-288-3
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3 stars (1 review)

What does the good life—and the good society—look like in the 21st century?

A toxic ideology of extreme competition and individualism has come to dominate our world. It misrepresents human nature, destroying hope and common purpose. Only a positive vision can replace it, a new story that re-engages people in politics and lights a path to a better future.

George Monbiot shows how new findings in psychology, neuroscience and evolutionary biology cast human nature in a radically different light: as the supreme altruists and cooperators. He shows how we can build on these findings to create a new politics: a “politics of belonging.” Both democracy and economic life can be radically reorganized from the bottom up, enabling us to take back control and overthrow the forces that have thwarted our ambitions for a better society.

Urgent and passionate, Out of the Wreckage provides the hope and clarity required to change …

2 editions

Review of 'Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics for an Age of Crisis' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I really enjoyed the first chapter (narrative and storytelling is crucial for political discourse), but most of the middle chapters seemed to be about a political utopia, not a map for how to get there.

This British writer contributes a weekly column for the Guardian (I haven't read it) and perhaps many of these chapters were originally articles. Most are interesting, if unlikely, though I'm not sure I buy all the arguments. One chapter goes into the tragedy of the commons, seeming to call for local community control - but then shifts gears to how we must reacquire commons from entities (corporations, individuals) who have "fenced them in". Is the whole planet a commons, then?

The book closes with an analysis of the Bernie Sanders campaign, and this is both cogent and shows attainable change. I understand the author is an excellent speaker, so before I attempt another of his …