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HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS?: POLITICS, EQUALITY, NATURE By George Monbiot ------- "Neoliberalism: do you know what it is? Its anonymity is both a symptom and cause of its power. It has played a major role in a remarkable variety of crises: the financial meltdown of 2007 ‑8, the offshoring of wealth and power, of which the Panama Papers offer us merely a glimpse, the slow collapse of public health and education, resurgent child poverty, the epidemic of loneliness, the collapse of ecosystems, the rise of Donald Trump. But we respond to these crises as if they emerge in isolation, apparently unaware that they have all been either catalysed or exacerbated by the same coherent philosophy; a philosophy that has – or had – a name. What greater power can there be than to operate namelessly?" —George Monbiot, Guardian, 17th April http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot ------- ABOUT THE BOOK: Leading political and environmental commentator on where we have gone wrong, and what to do about it “Without countervailing voices, naming and challenging power, political freedom withers and dies. Without countervailing voices, a better world can never materialise. Without countervailing voices, wells will still be dug and bridges will still be built, but only for the few. Food will still be grown, but it will not reach the mouths of the poor. New medicines will be developed, but they will be inaccessible to many of those in need.” George Monbiot is one of the most vocal, and eloquent, critics of the current consensus. How Did We Get into this Mess?, based on his powerful journalism, assesses the state we are now in: the devastation of the natural world, the crisis of inequality, the corporate takeover of nature, our obsessions with growth and profit and the decline of the political debate over what to do. While his diagnosis of the problems in front of us is clear-sighted and reasonable, he also develops solutions to challenge the politics of fear. How do we stand up to the powerful when they seem to have all the weapons? What can we do to prepare our children for an uncertain future? Controversial, clear but always rigorously argued, How Did We Get into this Mess? makes a persuasive case for change in our everyday lives, our politics and economics, the ways we treat each other and the natural world. http://www.versobooks.com/books/2092-how-did-we-get-into-this-mess ------------ George Monbiot writes a weekly column for the Guardian and is the author of a number of books, including Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning; The Age of Consent: A Manifesto for a New World Order; Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain; and Feral: Rewilding the Land, Sea and Human Life. He recently helped to found Rewilding Britain, which seeks to redefine people’s relationship to the living world. ------------ UPCOMING EVENTS WITH GEORGE MONBIOT: HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS? AT HOME Tuesday 17th May 2016, 6.30pm HOME 2 Tony Wilson Place Manchester M15 4FN http://www.versobooks.com/events/1371-home-manchester-hosts-george-monbiot HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS? FOR THE LIBERTY LECTURES Wednesday 18th May 2016, 7.45pm Howard Assembly Room Opera North Leeds LS1 6NU http://www.versobooks.com/events/1366-how-did-we-get-into-this-mess STROUD FESTIVAL OF NATURE: REWILDING BRITAIN Friday 10th June 2016, 7.30 Stroud Subscription Rooms, George Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 1AE WAYS WITH WORDS FESTIVAL OF WORDS AND IDEAS Monday 11th July 2016, 7pm Great Hall Dartington Hall Devon TQ9 6ED ------------ “A dazzling command of science and relentless faith in people … I never miss reading him.” – Naomi Klein “George Monbiot is always original—both in the intelligence of his opinions and the depth and rigour of his research.” - Brian Eno “What most impresses in Monbiot’s clever, elegant writing is the way he strives to think beyond protest towards realistic, representative solutions to the problems of world politics and trade.” – The Times “A writer of eloquence and passion.” – Observer “His passion for social and ecological justice is undimmed by twenty-first-century cynicism. His desire for knowledge across the widest gamut of subjects (scientific, historical, political and cultural) enables him to reach places which are foreign territory to many of us.” – *Herald (Glasgow)* ------------ HARDBACK: APRIL 2016 / 9781784783624 / $24.95 / £16.99 / $32.99CAN AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS IS CURRENTLY 40% OFF IN HARDBACK http://www.versobooks.com/books/2092-how-did-we-get-into-this-mess ------------ Visit Verso's website for information on our upcoming events, new reviews and publications and special offers: http://www.versobooks.com Sign up for the Verso mailing list: https://www.versobooks.com/users/sign_up Follow us online: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VersoBks Twitter: http://twitter.com/VersoBooks Instagram: http://instagram.com/versobooks Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18970808-verso-books -------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA mailing list -------------------------------------------------------- To manage your subscription or unsubscribe from the MECCSA list, please visit: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=MECCSA&A=1 ------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA is the subject association for the field of media, communication and cultural studies in UK Higher Education. 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