50 Facts That Should Change the World [antikvár]

Introduction: Why should these 50 facts change the world? Setting out to change the world is a pretty difficult task. At first, it's hard to see how a fact, a simple piece of information, can do that. But I firmly believe each one of the 50 facts in this book is capable of changing the way we think -and when it comes to changing the world, that's the most important step we can take. Each fact tells us something important we need to know about modern life in the modern world. Some address inequality - of income, of opportunity, of power. Others consider the rampant consumption of natural resources, while still others look at our changing culture and society. Each fact is accompanied by a short essay which aims to give a bit of context, looking at the story behind the statistic: what the scope of the problem is, how we got here, and what we can do now. At the end of the book, there is a full list of where the 50 facts are sourced from; you'll also find a glossary which will explain any unfamiliar terms, and a guide to how you can get involved. As you read through the book, a few things will start to become clear. Many of the world's problems are caused by the grotesque inequalities that exist between the rich, industrialised world and the poorer, developing nations. If we could just address the severity of these inequalities, then we would go a long way towards solving the problems. The oft-maligned phenomenon of globalisation - the increasing interconnection of the world through trade, communications and investment - could do much to address this, if it were applied in the right way. But, as we will see, rich nations have been able to use it as a further tool of exploitation, imposing tough barriers on developing countries while lavishly propping up their own economies, while corporations use cheap labour and materials in poorer countries to further maximise their profits. Here is the most important thing you should bear in mind when reading this book: these are facts, but they are not immutable truths. It's not too late to change the way our world works. But we need to act soon. Some of the facts need major shifts in thinking, while others require governments to start taking their responsibilities to the international community seriously. Neither of these things will be easy to achieve. But if we don't try, they'll never happen. A quote from the eminent anthropologist Margaret Mead has inspired activists for generations, and I kept thinking about it as I wrote. 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' I'm convinced these 50 facts should change the world. And after you read this book, I hope you will be convinced too. About the Author Jessica Williams is a journalist and television producer for the BBC, where she has researched and produced interviews with such disparate figures as the political philosopher Noam Chomsky, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Sir David Attenborough, Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble, and the late American academic Edward Said. 1