Overview

World-leading political economist Maja Göpel shows us how we can set the course for the future in times of upheaval, and why this concerns us all. The way we live is changing fundamentally. The status quo is crumbling, but there is still reason to hope. Drawing on the latest scientific research, Maja Göpel distils complex developments across the environment, the economy, politics, society, and technology, and reveals how we can use this knowledge for a better world. Great transformations in history were triggered by humans, and our window to the future is as open as never before. It is time that we — each of us individually, but also society as a whole — allowed ourselves to think anew, to dream, and to ask a radical question: who do we want to be? After her previous book, Rethinking Our World, eloquently untangled the chaotic world we live in, Maja Göpel now gives readers the tools and motivation needed to build the world we want to live in.

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9781915590565

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Reviews

‘A profound diagnosis and wake-up call.’ -- Ralph Gerstenberg * Deutschlandfunk Kultur Book Review * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘[A]ccording to German political economist Maja Göpel, the days of “business as usual” are over. There is a new reality caught in the phrase “overshoot day” — when the demand for ecological resources and services exceeds what the earth can give. We’re already there and, among other things, progress and capitalism as we’ve known them need to be reconfigured to create a fairer, less exploitative society. This sounds like a dire read, but it’s strangely upbeat and, using often telling examples, Göpel calmly makes her dramatic point.’ -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel rigorously analyses traditional theories of economic growth, privatisation, consumption, and the infallibility of ‘the market’ … she is skilfully bringing together ideas from psychology, economics, philosophy, science and history to create a highly readable interdisciplinary summary of the crisis at hand … Göpel reminds us that awareness is one of the first steps, and the knowledge and belief that business as usual is not an option can be a powerful place to start.’ Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel rigorously analyses traditional theories of economic growth, privatisation, consumption, and the infallibility of ‘the market’ … she is skilfully bringing together ideas from psychology, economics, philosophy, science and history to create a highly readable interdisciplinary summary of the crisis at hand … Göpel reminds us that awareness is one of the first steps, and the knowledge and belief that business as usual is not an option can be a powerful place to start.’ -- Kara Nicholson * Readings * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel explains things well. She is lucid, succinct, and avoids strident polemic. And she enforces her argument with compelling narratives.’ -- Jane Goodall * The Conversation * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Maja Göpel’s book is a successful attempt to pack human history from the evolution of Homo sapiens to Greta Thunberg, economic theory from Adam Smith to Thomas Piketty, environmental research and system criticism into a concise space in an entertaining read — and she does it well.’ -- Jessica von Blazekovic * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *

Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘[A]ccording to German political economist Maja Göpel, the days of “business as usual” are over. There is a new reality caught in the phrase “overshoot day” — when the demand for ecological resources and services exceeds what the earth can give. We’re already there and, among other things, progress and capitalism as we’ve known them need to be reconfigured to create a fairer, less exploitative society. This sounds like a dire read, but it’s strangely upbeat and, using often telling examples, Göpel calmly makes her dramatic point.’ -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel rigorously analyses traditional theories of economic growth, privatisation, consumption, and the infallibility of ‘the market’ … she is skilfully bringing together ideas from psychology, economics, philosophy, science and history to create a highly readable interdisciplinary summary of the crisis at hand … Göpel reminds us that awareness is one of the first steps, and the knowledge and belief that business as usual is not an option can be a powerful place to start.’ Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel rigorously analyses traditional theories of economic growth, privatisation, consumption, and the infallibility of ‘the market’ … she is skilfully bringing together ideas from psychology, economics, philosophy, science and history to create a highly readable interdisciplinary summary of the crisis at hand … Göpel reminds us that awareness is one of the first steps, and the knowledge and belief that business as usual is not an option can be a powerful place to start.’ -- Kara Nicholson * Readings * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel explains things well. She is lucid, succinct, and avoids strident polemic. And she enforces her argument with compelling narratives.’ -- Jane Goodall * The Conversation * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Maja Göpel’s book is a successful attempt to pack human history from the evolution of Homo sapiens to Greta Thunberg, economic theory from Adam Smith to Thomas Piketty, environmental research and system criticism into a concise space in an entertaining read — and she does it well.’ -- Jessica von Blazekovic * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *

‘A profound diagnosis and wake-up call.’ -- Ralph Gerstenberg * Deutschlandfunk Kultur Book Review * ‘Göpel's message is encouraging.’ * Politics & Communication * ‘As in her last book, Göpel, in collaboration with the journalist Marcus Jauer, succeeds in the feat “To explain complex things in a way that's easy to grasp and entertaining”.’ * Taz Futurzwei * ‘Great impulses, cleverly thought.’ * NDR That! * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘[A]ccording to German political economist Maja Göpel, the days of “business as usual” are over. There is a new reality caught in the phrase “overshoot day” — when the demand for ecological resources and services exceeds what the earth can give. We’re already there and, among other things, progress and capitalism as we’ve known them need to be reconfigured to create a fairer, less exploitative society. This sounds like a dire read, but it’s strangely upbeat and, using often telling examples, Göpel calmly makes her dramatic point.’ -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel rigorously analyses traditional theories of economic growth, privatisation, consumption, and the infallibility of ‘the market’ … she is skilfully bringing together ideas from psychology, economics, philosophy, science and history to create a highly readable interdisciplinary summary of the crisis at hand … Göpel reminds us that awareness is one of the first steps, and the knowledge and belief that business as usual is not an option can be a powerful place to start.’ Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel rigorously analyses traditional theories of economic growth, privatisation, consumption, and the infallibility of ‘the market’ … she is skilfully bringing together ideas from psychology, economics, philosophy, science and history to create a highly readable interdisciplinary summary of the crisis at hand … Göpel reminds us that awareness is one of the first steps, and the knowledge and belief that business as usual is not an option can be a powerful place to start.’ -- Kara Nicholson * Readings * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Göpel explains things well. She is lucid, succinct, and avoids strident polemic. And she enforces her argument with compelling narratives.’ -- Jane Goodall * The Conversation * Praise for Rethinking Our World: ‘Maja Göpel’s book is a successful attempt to pack human history from the evolution of Homo sapiens to Greta Thunberg, economic theory from Adam Smith to Thomas Piketty, environmental research and system criticism into a concise space in an entertaining read — and she does it well.’ -- Jessica von Blazekovic * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *

Author Information

Dr Maja Göpel is a political economist and an important voice for a sustainable transformation of society, working at the intersection of the economy, politics, and society. From 2017 to 2020, she was secretary-general of the German Advisory Council on Global Change, and in 2019 was appointed honorary professor at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. She is a member of the Club of Rome, the World Future Council, the Balaton Group, the German government’s Bioeconomy Council, and a co-founder of the Scientists for Future network. David Shaw works as a journalist for Germany’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, as well as translating from several languages, including German, Dutch, Russian, and French. He lives in Berlin.

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