Overview

'A formidable effort... It has family resemblances to The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow, Yuval Noah Harari's three volumes, and books by Steven Pinker and Jared Diamond.' Barry Jones, global best-selling author, former Minister for Science & president of the Australian Labor Party The Mechanics of Changing the World argues that war, tax havens and environmental overshoot are insoluble within the current political framework. That present-day politics is a 'displacement activity'-a substitute for the one thing that can end our crises: to rewrite the political system that generates them. This 'third draft' of the democratic ideal flows from the Athenian and Euro-American 'drafts': rewiring democracy, institution by institution, to match it to all we've learned about human nature since 1789. The last half-century has seen the antiwar movement, perestroika, Tiananmen, Occupy and the Arab Spring. Strong ideals, and strong popular support-yet none built anything lasting. One-off campaigns are fragile. Changing the world needs more than inspired troubleshooting: it needs architecture.

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It is a formidable effort, very learned and extremely wide-ranging... The illustrations are excellent. It has certain family resemblances to The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow, Yuval Noah Harari's three volumes, and books by Steven Pinker and Jared Diamond. Dr Barry Jones, former president of the Australian Labor Party, Minister for Science, and author of Sleepers, Wake! (a global best-seller on the future of work) What is refreshing about Macgregor's book is that it's not merely an identification of the ills of democracy and how they came about, but it goes on to propose detailed remedies to overcome them, and does so without needing to resort to left or right politics but rather to a fundamentally citizen-centric view. It is a highly ambitious book, meticulously researched and well argued. Author Mike Muntisov at LibraryThing I've never read anything like it. It explains so much (just about everything, really) about the present sorry state of human affairs. And it has put politics into a manageable perspective for me. I sense, at last, that there is a way out of the straightjacket we find ourselves in. Ross Roache (early reviewer) If Karl Marx had someone reading his notes as they came off the table at the British Museum, and then saw how those notes later affected the world: that's how I feel reading this book. Very timely and powerful. Douglas Wakefield Fascinating and inspiring. I agree about the energising and unifying potential of the idea of a new constitution, addressing the problems he so clearly describes. I also agree he has identified the main points. My hope is that someone with the talents of a demagogue or an advertising guru will catch on and help the idea spread. Dr David Erdal, evolutionary psychologist, CEO and author Unlike the typical online manifesto, full of bold yet incoherent mandates, this book clearly defines, contextually situates, supports, and suggests how to operationalize its ideas... I'm impressed by how he presented his thesis in a non-partisan tone. He has chosen quotes and examples that demonstrate the core issues are trans-partisan. The book should appeal to thoughtful readers across the political spectrum... Despite the potential Gordian knot of our animal nature, I see every reason to push for a third draft democracy program of change in every way possible, as quickly as possible. He highlights some of the most pervasive challenges to success and offers an interlocking system of structural remedies. I'm unaware of any other proposals recognizing and addressing the failure points as systemically. Third draft democracy offers great and timely value and I want to see it in as many thoughtful hands as possible. This is such a critical topic and fine piece of work. Major Mark Harris, PhD, knowledge analyst, US Air Force

Author Information

John Macgregor worked in federal politics, won national awards for literature & investigative journalism, managed aid projects in Cambodia, & wrote the story development for the movie 'Shine'. From Washington, Rangoon & occupied East Timor, he has reported on science, politics, corruption & modern slavery, for such outlets as New Scientist, The Sydney Morning Herald & The New York Times. He completed The Mechanics of Changing the World in 2024.

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