We Can Do Better

a departure into the world of tomorrow
Maja Göpel (trans. David Shaw)

‘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

View all reviews

‘Great impulses, cleverly thought.’

NDR That!

‘Göpel's writing style is clear and engaging, making complex topics understandable to a wide audience … a timely and essential read for anyone concerned about the state of the world and committed to creating a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future.’

Sungsoo An

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.’

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

After her previous book, Rethinking Our World, eloquently untangled the complex world we live in, Maja Göpel delivers the encouragement and the tools we need to go into action and build the world we want to live in.

Humanity is undergoing a massive process of transformation, and the way we live will change fundamentally, because things we have taken for granted about the environment, the economy, politics, society, and technology are crumbling. In We Can Do Better, Maja Göpel explains how we can understand such complex developments and use this knowledge to achieve a better world.

There have always been great transformations in history, triggered by humans — thus, we can also shape them. Our window to the future is open as never before. With this attitude, structural change is not an imposition, but an opportunity. 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 two related, radical questions: Who do we want to be, and how do we want to live?

‘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

View all reviews

‘Great impulses, cleverly thought.’

NDR That!

Sungsoo An

Praise for Rethinking Our World:

Steven Carroll, The Sydney Morning Herald

Praise for Rethinking Our World:

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:

Jessica von Blazekovic, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 210mm × 135mm

Extent:352pp

ISBN (13):9781761380693

RRP:$32.99

Pub date:3 Apr 2024

Rights Held: World English

High-res cover:Download Image

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AUTHOR

Maja Göpel

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.

TRANSLATOR

David Shaw

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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We Can Do Better

a departure into the world of tomorrow
Maja Göpel (trans. David Shaw)

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a departure into the world of tomorrow
Maja Göpel (trans. David Shaw)