Synopses & Reviews
The world is facing a wave of uprisings, protests and revolutions: Arab dictators swept away, public spaces occupied, slum-dwellers in revolt, cyberspace buzzing with utopian dreams. Events we were told were consigned to history—democratic revolt and social revolution—are being lived by millions of people.
In this compelling new book, Paul Mason explores the causes and consequences of this great unrest. From Cairo to Athens, Wall Street and Westminster to Manila, Mason goes in search of the changes in society, technology and human behaviour that have propelled a generation onto the streets in search of social justice. In a narrative that blends historical insight with first-person reportage, Mason shines a light on these new forms of activism, from the vast, agile networks of cyberprotest to the culture wars and tent camps of the #occupy movement. The events, says Mason, reflect the expanding power of the individual and call for new political alternatives to elite rule and global poverty.
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The mix of wide-ranging reportage and historical analysis is lively and insightful." Claire Allfree
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The writing of this reportage is compact, urgent, present-tense, declarative, and addictive." Metro
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"Mason has had a ringside seat to some of the biggest news events of 2011. He has listened to the protestors in Tahrir Square. He followed Greek workers marching through Athens. He has travelled through America, watched first hand the collapse of blue-collar employment and the death of the dream of home ownership." Kenny Farquharson Scotland on Sunday
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"Lively, funny and engaging, trading in the energy derived from the thrill and significance of what he’s witnessing." Ian Birrell - Observer
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A cogent, accessible analysis of the ongoing forces of global upheaval." Phil Harrison Time Out
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This book not only reads as an in-depth consideration of global politics today, but offers a personal memoir from a man who has had a ringside seat. We are blessed that the BBC, for all the criticisms, still employs journalists whose logic and unfailing inquisitiveness brings us such analysis." Kirkus Reviews
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You will learn something new and challenging on every page of this book." Dan Carrier Camden New Journal
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"Mason has emerged as possibly the most engaged mainstream journalist of our age." George Eaton
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"Concise global analysis with sympathetic news from the frontline, revealing angry and scared people staring into a bleak future amid the wreckage of shattered certainties." New Statesman
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"Lively, funny and engaging, trading in the energy derived from the thrill and significance of what he’s witnessing." Ian Birrell - Observer
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"You will learn something new and challenging on every page of this book." Phil Harrison Time Out
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"This book not only reads as an in-depth consideration of global politics today, but offers a personal memoir from a man who has had a ringside seat." Guardian
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"The writing of this reportage is compact, urgent, present-tense, declarative, and addictive." Dan Carrier Camden New Journal
Synopsis
Eyewitness reporting and shrewd analysis from the many centers of the global movement for liberation.
Synopsis
Originally published in 2012 to wide acclaim, this updated edition,
Why It’s Still Kicking Off Everywhere, includes coverage of the most recent events in the wave of revolt and revolution sweeping the planet—riots in Athens, student occupations in the UK, Quebec and Moscow, the emergence of the Occupy Movement and the tumult of the Arab Spring. Economic crisis, social networking and a new political consciousness have come together to ignite a new generation of radicals.
BBC journalist and author Paul Mason combines the anecdotes gleaned through first-hand reportage with political, economic and historical analysis to tell the story of today’s networked revolution. Why It’s Still Kicking Off Everywhere not only addresses contemporary struggles, it provides insights into the future of global revolt.
Synopsis
Frontline reports from today’s revolutions
About the Author
Paul Mason is the economics editor of the BBC's Newsnight. He has covered globalization and social justice stories from locations around the world, including Latin America, Africa and China. He is the author of Meltdown and Live Working or Die Fighting. He lives in London.