Other books that might interest you

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  Democratic Delusions - How the...

  Natalie Fenton

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  A free media is inextricably linked to a healthy democracy, but in many parts of the world liberal democracies are deemed to be dying or on the demise—a demise that many forms of media have enabled while heralding themselves as democracy's savior. The hollowing out of democracy in these ways has left many people questioning the value of (neo)liberal democratic societies. What can we do about it? 
   
      
    
  Democratic Delusions explores the potential of our media and tech systems to be democratic and contribute to a just and transformative democracy. This is only possible, Natalie Fenton argues, by first situating our political systems and mediated worlds within global capitalism. By interrogating different media and their relationship to seven key elements of democracy—power, participation, freedom, equality, public good, trust, and hope—the book asks: What is the response of society when the ability of news media to speak truth to power has been restricted by corporate logic? And, how do we tackle a deep-rooted market logic that shifts public debate towards private interest and marginalizes progressive perspectives? The book explores how these elements can be reimagined through newly conceived media and tech landscapes and, ultimately, what democracy might be in a future mediated world that places more power in the hands of more people.

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  Try Anarchism for Life - The...

  Cindy Barukh Milstein

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  Try Anarchism for Life revolves around a thought experiment: What are some of the many beautiful dimensions of anarchism? In reply, it blends gorgeous circle A drawings by twenty-six artists with Milstein’s words, forming picture-prose that are at once inviting and playful, poignant and dreamy. The pieces encourage us to notice and expand on liberatory practices, especially in a time when so much feels impossible. In depicting how anarchism gifts us lives worth living, this book warms ailing hearts and offers tender succor.

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  Liberalism as a Way of Life

  Alexandre Lefebvre

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  Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life, many of us are liberal without fully realizing it—or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it's the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values—our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold. 
   
   
   
  A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media—from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you'll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal and practical exercises to increase these rewards.

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  The Color of Civics - Civic...

  Matthew D. Nelsen

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  Generations of Americans have regarded schools as essential for developing the knowledge and civic values necessary for sustaining democracy. Yet, as Matthew D. Nelsen argues in The Color of Civics, traditional approaches to civic education are not living up to their promise for many students, particularly students of color from disadvantaged communities. 
   
   
   
  Drawing on lessons from students and teachers in Chicago, The Color of Civics reimagines the democratic purpose of civic education. Nelsen's findings challenge some of the most widely cited civic education research, arguing that the content of traditional civic education courses privileges the political experiences of white political actors, and in turn, contributes to divergent political behaviors and participatory outcomes across racial and ethnic groups. He presents a new approach to civic education that aims to foster political empowerment by centering historically-grounded conversations about current events as well as critical categories of knowledge—those that highlight the agency of marginalized groups. This approach increases rates of political participation among young people of color and heightens political empathy among white youth. Nelsen also explores how the attitudes and lived experiences of teachers drive the implementation of more empowering civic learning environments.

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  A Room of One's Own

  Virginia Woolf

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  'Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.'
  
  Based on two lectures Woolf delivered at the University of Cambridge, A Room of One's Own compellingly argues for women's intellectual freedom and the importance of financial independence. It is still considered one of the most powerful pieces of feminist writing to this day.
  
  Published in 1929, A Room of One's Own asserts a simple message: in order for women to reach their full creative potential, they must have their own money and space with which to do it with. Drawing from the careers of the extraordinary female authors who came before her – such as Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters and Aphra Behn – Woolf stresses just how crucial access to education is, particularly in an environment which fails to support women's liberty. She cleverly asks us to imagine that Shakespeare had a sister – equal in genius, talent – and poses the question: would her legacy be the same if her means to create were stumped? As incisive as it is intelligent, A Room of One's Own is a searing social commentary for the ages. This audiobook edition is brilliantly read by Karen Cass.
  Virginia Woolf (1882 – 1941) was one of the most significant novelists of the twentieth century. A modernist writer and progressive thinker, she is known for her stream of consciousness narrative style and influence on feminist criticism. Her works have been translated into over fifty languages and are widely read and adapted to this day.

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  The Prince of Evolution

  David R. Wood

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  The Prince of Evolution is the evolutionary reframing of one of the most important and 
  controversial political texts in history. It reframes Machiavelli’s The Prince as a text expressing a revolutionary political theory that expresses an evolutionary ‘best practice’ framework for political competition. 
   
  By applying the two patterns of evolution, natural and artificial, discovered by Charles Darwin and David R. Wood. In doing so it reveals new insights and value to be derived from Machiavelli’s original text. Most importantly, by providing an evolutionary framework for every human
   relationship that has ever existed, and reframes Machiavelli, the man, to be just as human as you or I.
   
  The Prince of Evolution is a groundbreaking work that will disrupt the entire field of political 
  science. And the way we all look at organizations, communities, and ourselves.

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