Palaces for the People: How To Build a More Equal and United Society

(Paperback)

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A transformative new idea for healing social division from one of the world's foremost experts How can we bring people together Sociologist and best-selling author Eric Klinenberg introduces a transformative and powerfully uplifting new idea for health, happiness, safety and healing our divided, unequal society. 'This wonderful book shows us how democracies thrive' Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt, authors of How Democracies Die Too often we take for granted and neglect our libraries, parks, markets, schools, playgrounds, gardens and communal spaces, but decades of research now shows that these places can have an extraordinary effect on our personal and collective wellbeing. Why Because wherever people cross paths and linger, wherever we gather informally, strike up a conversation and get to know one another, relationships blossom and communities emerge - and where communities are strong, people are safer and healthier, crime drops and commerce thrives, and peace, tolerance and stability take root. Through uplifting human stories and an illuminating tour through the science of social connection, Palaces for the People shows that properly designing and maintaining this 'social infrastructure' might be our single best strategy for a more equal and united society.

Reviews

This wonderful book shows us how democracies thrive -- Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt, authors of How Democracies Die
Fantastic ... both idealistic and, in its myriad examples, pragmatic, and delightfully readable -- Rebecca Solnit, author of Men Explain Things to Me
This book is full of hope, which is all the more striking because Klinenberg is a realist. He is a major social thinker, and this is a beautifully written, major book -- Richard Sennett, author of The Craftsman
An important book for our difficult age. In very unequal societies, where the social fabric has been torn apart, it is vitally important to bring people together. Eric Klinenberg shows us how this can be done -- Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level
Klinenbergs observations hold as true for Brexit Britain as they do for Trumps America ... In ripping out our social infrastructure, we are outraging a wisdom that goes back centuries and spans countries ... Our people deserve palaces" Aditya Chakrabortty

Author Bio

Eric Klinenberg is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute of Public Knowledge at New York University. His pioneering research into the power of social infrastructure led to his appointment in 2013 as Research Director for President Obama's $1 billion programme to rebuild the region affected by Superstorm Sandy. He is the multi-award winning author of several books including, as co-author, the recent number one bestseller Modern Romance.