Arguing that an efficient economic system can be compatible with a fair share for all, this novel centers on a United States president who changes his mind about his policies. A deliberate parable about today’s political wars, the novel illustrates the reforms posed by a real 19th-century figure, the American economist Henry George. Accordingly, this fictional reelection campaign provides a convenient stage for speeches and debates when the incumbent president goes missing, only to return with a platform for social justice that enrages those with vested interests and confounds his party operatives.

Fred Harrison draws on global-wide case studies to show how the violent birth of nation-states, whether the result of territorial conquests or colonialism, splits the population into two classes, victors and vanquished. This division is perpetuated and legitimated through the system of land tenure. The pathological consequences – as diverse as failed states, organised crime (mafia), religious fundamentalism and the re-emergence of piracy – are the result of the violent uprooting of the original inhabitants from their homelands. Understanding the territorial basis of political power and wealth is the pre-requisite, Fred Harrison argues, for making sense of issues as diverse …

Pinpointing a flaw in prevailing economic practices that explains why so many families in the richest nation on earth are mired in poverty, homelessness, joblessness, and hunger, this study suggests that a reform is available to correct this flaw that is corroding the enterprise system. This flaw is widely accepted and enshrined in law; and certain taxation and land policies enable a powerful few to skim off a large share of the wealth created by the mass of citizens. How this injustice plays a major role in generating destructive boom and bust cycles is important, but the overprivileged who benefit …

Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest Roman emperors, is remembered less for his military exploits than for his private reflections. His Meditations, as they became known, have been a major influence on Western thought and behaviour down through the centuries, proving that the pen is mightier than the sword. Seeking an alternative to faith-based religion, Alan Stedall came across the book and found rational answers to questions about the meaning and purpose of life that had been troubling him. Here too were answers to his concern that in the absence of moral beliefs based on religion, we risk creating a …

The country is in crisis. Unrest and inner city tensions feed on unemployment, and as the government struggles to contain the soaring debt, no one listens. Most are tired of PR-savvy words and tired of the blame game that poses as debate. Divisions in the Cabinet force the premier’s resignation. Because circumstances are too dire to afford the luxury of an election, the queen calls a meeting of the three main party leaders. Some days efore, the leader of the opposition received a letter that intrigued him. The writer had held little hope of making contact, but gave it one …

John Clare (1793-1864) was born at a time of great social upheaval, just months after the beheading of Louis XVI and the outbreak of war with France, which was to last until the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. He also lived through the upheavals of the land enclosure movement and agricultural revolution, which changed the face of the countryside and the way of life in rural England. His father was a farm worker who managed to pay for his son’s schooling, though this was cut short as conditions worsened, but Clare had by then learned to read and …

This authorised biography of poet Kathleen Raine tells the story of how she developed from a small girl, who knew at the age of eight that she wanted only to write poetry, into a world-renowned poet and literary scholar. Philippa Bernard follows Kathleen Raine’s struggle against the constrictions of her suburban childhood to her exciting days at Girton College in the 1920s, where she became friends with many brilliant writers, artists, and scientists, whose friendships lasted all her life. After a short marriage to Hugh Sykes Davies, she eloped with the poet Charles Madge to live in Blackheath, where two …

In Eradicating Ecocide, international environment lawyer and activist Polly Higgins sets out to demonstrate in no uncertain terms how our planet is fast being destroyed by the activities of corporations and governments, facilitated by compromise laws that offer insufficient deterrence. She offers a solution that is radical but, as she explains with great competence and experience, absolutely necessary. The recent Mexican Gulf oil spill is a compelling reminder of the consequences of unchecked ecocide. Higgins advocates the introduction of a new international law against ecocide. It would become the 5th Crime Against Peace and would hold to account heads of …

This book offers the first comprehensive assessment of Tony Blair's premiership and his Third Way project. It reveals the hidden flaw in the market economy that explains why politicians of all parties cannot keep their grand promises. Blair promised to reform the Welfare State, the pact between people and their governments to abolish the evils of poverty and ignorance. Despite a record three election victories in a row, the gap between rich and poor widened. The reason, the author argues, is the method government relies on to raise taxes. Contrary to intention, the tax burden on low income earners increased, …

Beings from a distant planet impact the political, economic, and spiritual life of both Britain and the world in this tale that uses a touch of science fiction to explore human potential. Dealing with a suffering economy and rising inflation, the prime minister is a year into office and faces nothing but frustration. Then, visitors with impressive technological skills and an astonishingly tranquil presence arrive claiming to be from a distant world. This perceptive narrative lifts current political debate out of its rut when these aliens explain that, thanks in part to the wise Teachers of Earth, they have established …