What Is to Be Done

Discover 'What Is to Be Done', a thought-provoking follow-up to the acclaimed bestseller 'Sleepers, Wake!' by Barry Jones. Published in 2020 by Scribe Publications, this insightful trade paperback delves into the pressing issues of our time, including the profound effects of information technologies on society. With 400 pages of rich content, Jones explores how the digital age reshapes politics, health, and our climate. He confronts the challenge of fragile democracies and the often ineffective response from political leaders in tackling the climate crisis. As social media and smartphones dominate our lives, our sense of community has eroded, leading to increased polarization and a diminished capacity for empathy. 'What Is to Be Done' serves as an urgent call to action for individuals and society, compelling readers to reflect on their roles in an interconnected world. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics shaping our future. Enjoy FREE shipping on your purchase, making it easier than ever to access critical ideas that can lead to meaningful change. Note: Combined shipping for other products is not available with this item. Please allow up to 10 days for shipping.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781925849912
Format: Trade paperback (UK)
Year: 2020
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Pages: 400


Description:
A follow-up to the prescient bestseller, first published in 1982, that alerted the public to the likely impacts of information technologies and the emergence of a post-industrial society.

When Sleepers, Wake! was released in Australia, it immediately became influential around the world- it was read by Deng Xiaoping and Bill Gates; was published in China, Japan, South Korea, and Sweden; and led to the author being the first Australian minister invited to address a G-7 summit meeting, held in Canada in 1985.

Now its author, the polymath and former politician Barry Jones, turns his attention to what has happened since - especially to politics, health, and our climate in the digital age - and to the challenges faced by increasingly fragile democracies and public institutions.

Jones sees climate change as the greatest problem of our time, but political leaders have proved incapable of dealing with complex, long-term issues of such magnitude. The Trump phenomenon, in particular, has overturned the whole concept of critical thinking and analysis. Meanwhile, technologies such as the smartphone and the ubiquity of social media have reinforced the realm of the personal. This has weakened our sense of, or empathy with, 'the other', the remote, and the unfamiliar, and all but destroyed our sense of community, of being members of broad, inclusive groups.

This product has FREE shipping however combined shipping for other products is not available with this item. Please allow up to 10 days for shipping.