Joss Sheldon is a scruffy nomad, unchained free-thinker, and
post-modernist radical. He was raised in one of the anonymous
suburbs that wrap themselves around London's beating heart. Then he
escaped!
With a degree from the London School of Economics to his name,
Sheldon had spells selling falafel at music festivals, being a
ski-bum, and failing to turn the English Midlands into a haven of
rugby league.
Then, in 2013, he stumbled upon McLeod Ganj; an Indian village
which is home to thousands of angry monkeys. It was there that
Sheldon wrote his debut novel, 'Involution & Evolution'.
Eleven years down the line, he's penned eight titles in total,
including two works of non-fiction: "DEMOCRACY: A User's Guide",
and his latest release, "FREEDOM: The Case For Open Borders".
"Entertaining and insightful... Enjoyable... Interesting and
curious... The examples Sheldon has collected for this book are
fascinating and make for a provocative read."*** IRISH TECH NEWS
***
"Democracy is inherently a swamp with too many variables, both
specific and contextual. Sheldon leads the reader deep into this
swamp, lets them feel lost, and then shows them the many potential
ways in which it can be navigated, thus reminding us that there
isn't one definite meaning of democracy, nor one way to reach it,
nor a standard formula to preserve it... It uses neither a
Eurocentric nor a bourgeois lens to evaluate political cultures
from across the world. It doesn't imagine the seeds of democracy in
ancient Greece, but, instead, finds them across time and throughout
the world. Another strength of the book lies in its candor in
discussing the health of democracy as it exists, especially in the
bastions of European-style polities. While the book narrates events
big and small-including protests, movements, technological
innovations, betrayals by the police, pushback from the state-that
have helped democracy progress, stagnate, and falter, the general
message is positive. There is hope for democracy, and there are
strategies and tools that people across the world have forged.
Finally, this book pushes through the general tendency of thinking
about democracy only in spaces exclusively reserved for politics.
It emphasizes the need to democratize across the board-at schools,
in corporations, in the market, among law enforcement
organizations, within armies, in media groups, at places of work,
and so on. While the lack of dates in the anecdotes sometimes makes
the reader unsure of the context, this is an interesting and
immensely readable book."*** DOLLARS & SENSE MAGAZINE ***
"An incredibly straight forward guide and a book everyone living in
a democracy should read... Overall, "Democracy: A User's Guide" by
Joss Sheldon is highly recommended. Easily, 5-Stars!"*** READERS'
VIEWS ***
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