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Democracy: A User's Guide
They say we live in a democracy. We are free and we should be grateful.
But just how “Free” are we? How democratic are our so-called “Democracies”?
Is it enough to simply elect our leaders and sit back, helpless, as they rule over us like dictators? What good is selecting our politicians, if we cannot control our media, police or soldiers? If we must blindly follow our teachers’ and bosses’ commands, whilst at school and in the workplace, is it not a little naïve to believe that we are the masters of our own destinies? And if our resources are controlled by a tiny cabal of plutocrats, bankers and corporations; can we honestly say that our economies are being run for us?
Could things not be a little bit more, well, democratic?
Indeed they can! “Democracy: A User’s Guide” shows us how…
Within the pages of this story-filled book, we shall visit Summerhill, a democratic school in the east of England, before stopping off in Brazil to check out Semco, where workplace democracy is the name of the game. We will travel to Rojava, to explore life in a democratic army, and head to Spain, to see why Podemos is giving liquid democracy a go. We shall travel back in time, to see democracy at work in hunter-gatherer societies, tribal confederacies, the guilds and on the commons. We will consider the case for participatory budgeting, deliberative democracy, collaborative hiring, community currencies, peer-to-peer lending, and much much more.
The message is clear and concise: Democracy does not have to be a pipe dream. We have all the tools we need to rule ourselves.
But just how “Free” are we? How democratic are our so-called “Democracies”?
Is it enough to simply elect our leaders and sit back, helpless, as they rule over us like dictators? What good is selecting our politicians, if we cannot control our media, police or soldiers? If we must blindly follow our teachers’ and bosses’ commands, whilst at school and in the workplace, is it not a little naïve to believe that we are the masters of our own destinies? And if our resources are controlled by a tiny cabal of plutocrats, bankers and corporations; can we honestly say that our economies are being run for us?
Could things not be a little bit more, well, democratic?
Indeed they can! “Democracy: A User’s Guide” shows us how…
Within the pages of this story-filled book, we shall visit Summerhill, a democratic school in the east of England, before stopping off in Brazil to check out Semco, where workplace democracy is the name of the game. We will travel to Rojava, to explore life in a democratic army, and head to Spain, to see why Podemos is giving liquid democracy a go. We shall travel back in time, to see democracy at work in hunter-gatherer societies, tribal confederacies, the guilds and on the commons. We will consider the case for participatory budgeting, deliberative democracy, collaborative hiring, community currencies, peer-to-peer lending, and much much more.
The message is clear and concise: Democracy does not have to be a pipe dream. We have all the tools we need to rule ourselves.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2020
69 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Joss Sheldon
9 books182 followersJoss Sheldon is a scruffy nomad, unchained free-thinker, and post-modernist radical. Born in 1982, 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, hundreds of Tibetan refugees, and the Dalai Lama himself. 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".
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, hundreds of Tibetan refugees, and the Dalai Lama himself. 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".
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 27, 2021
I received a free copy of Democracy: A User's Guide in exchange for an honest review and I'm so glad I got a chance to read this book. Many thanks to BookSirens and Joss Sheldon.
This book is all about the various aspects of democracy. In four different sections, Joss Sheldon explains how democracy works (or doesn't), which forms exist and how to improve them.
Section 1 is about the history of democracy. He explains how the earliest human civilizations were most likely organized and how our modern systems developed over time.
Section 2 is about representative democracy, how it works and ways to improve it.
Section 3 talks about public service: democratic schools, the army, etc.
And section 4 is all about the economy, how demand and supply works, and why the current system is unfair.
I quite liked the author's writing style. It's certainly not a textbook; it's engaging, never dry, and at times even funny. In fact, I was impressed by the number of humorous references and enjoyable stories about real-life events in this book. Reading about purely theoretical ideas (especially regarding politics or economics) without any connection to our lives can be tedious and feel rather pointless. However, that wasn't the case here. Joss Sheldon has a talent for presenting complicated aspects in an easily understandable way, even for a layperson.
I appreciated all the real-life examples he provides. He offers a wide range of information: from democratic schools and co-ops to groups of people forcing their governments to act in their best interests. Joss Sheldon has done a great job collecting and explaining all these facts, showing what could be done better and what's possible.
I don't know how realistic the solutions the books offers are. Still, in my opinion, it's a very thought-provoking and inspiring read.
I didn't expect to enjoy the book as much as I did; it truly is a hidden gem. I learned so much from reading it, and I'll definitely research some of the ideas I encountered in this book. If you're interested in finding out more about our democratic systems and love to question the status quo, Democracy: A User's Guide might be the perfect book for you.
This book is all about the various aspects of democracy. In four different sections, Joss Sheldon explains how democracy works (or doesn't), which forms exist and how to improve them.
Section 1 is about the history of democracy. He explains how the earliest human civilizations were most likely organized and how our modern systems developed over time.
Section 2 is about representative democracy, how it works and ways to improve it.
Section 3 talks about public service: democratic schools, the army, etc.
And section 4 is all about the economy, how demand and supply works, and why the current system is unfair.
I quite liked the author's writing style. It's certainly not a textbook; it's engaging, never dry, and at times even funny. In fact, I was impressed by the number of humorous references and enjoyable stories about real-life events in this book. Reading about purely theoretical ideas (especially regarding politics or economics) without any connection to our lives can be tedious and feel rather pointless. However, that wasn't the case here. Joss Sheldon has a talent for presenting complicated aspects in an easily understandable way, even for a layperson.
I appreciated all the real-life examples he provides. He offers a wide range of information: from democratic schools and co-ops to groups of people forcing their governments to act in their best interests. Joss Sheldon has done a great job collecting and explaining all these facts, showing what could be done better and what's possible.
I don't know how realistic the solutions the books offers are. Still, in my opinion, it's a very thought-provoking and inspiring read.
I didn't expect to enjoy the book as much as I did; it truly is a hidden gem. I learned so much from reading it, and I'll definitely research some of the ideas I encountered in this book. If you're interested in finding out more about our democratic systems and love to question the status quo, Democracy: A User's Guide might be the perfect book for you.
July 31, 2020
In the introduction, the author says he aims to distinguish various kinds of political systems. He says his motivation came from several 1-star user reviews of his previous book, Individutopia, that readers posted to Amazon, in particular this one and this one. (This, of course, makes me self-conscious to post a review of Democracy: A User's Guide, lest one of my comments spark a new book and be quoted in its introduction, but here I go.) "Capitalism" and "communism" are both top-down systems that hardly cover the spectrum of what's out there and what's possible, and the author personally prefers not to be ruled. He "dislike[s]" systems with "top-down control." While embarked on the 16 chapters of this book, the reader may spend time evaluating whether the author successfully explains his political preference, justifies applying it to others, and persuades others that his position is correct — but, by the time we reach the conclusion, the author admits that he never set out to deliver a "manifesto" that is "for or against democracy" but rather aimed merely "to be entertaining and informative." He admits that the subtitle "A User's Guide" isn't very apt. Readers should, therefore, allow themselves to be passively infotained and not try to weave threads into a thesis where there is not one.
I often read books on democracy. They are usually written by political scientists who want to say something new in their field, impress other academics, or make a call to action to the general public. It's a little bewildering for me to read a book on democracy by someone who primarily identifies as a novelist, has a score to settle with anonymous Internet commenters, and doesn't have a philosophical prescription. People die every day for lack of democracy. I realize there are many uncertainties and no easy answers, but I want the author to care enough to make strong recommendations.
One good feature is that the scope is wide. The author views a lot of social phenomena under the rubric of democracy and explains how to see them in that light.
In the first part, the first chapter (rather problematically) includes discussions of social enforcement among both gorillas and today's Native Americans, with a subheading "From primates to primitive peoples." (As a technicality, humans are primates, and today's non-human primates are not the direct ancestors of humans but rather evolutionary cousins — but for me to point out this technicality is hazy hand-waving at a larger problem of putting certain humans in the primate chapter.) Anyway, I was nonetheless interested to hear that the Utku Inuit discourage anger because they fear that someone who can't moderate their emotions might go on to seize political control of their small group. The discussion moves on to the democratic organization of groups of increasing size, then to the feudalism of the Middle Ages (which did have some democratic groups, e.g. monasteries), then to parliaments that arose as representative democracies.
The second part examines modern forms of government and protest movements, or what we would normally call to mind when we hear the word "democracy." This includes a brief discussion on the merits of violent and nonviolent protests. Violent insurrections have sometimes been effective to deal with imminent, fundamental problems, like a person's own enslavement, whereas more optional efforts like organizing in one's spare time for slightly improved workplace conditions may need to aspire, rather, to win a battle for hearts and minds, and that usually means protesting nonviolently.
The third part discusses public institutions that can be more or less democratic in their character, namely schools, newspapers, military, and police. The author shares his own recollections of being a schoolboy who felt frustrated with the authoritarian injustices of British headmasters. (He seems to have more clarity and to feel more strongly about this than about his open question of the use of violence in social protests.)
The fourth part discusses the economic sphere: whether our workplaces are democratic, whether imperialist powers bestow technological and economic infrastructure upon a people that they would not have asked for or that is poor compensation for what is stolen from them; modern notions of spending power; and various conceptions of money, bartering, and sharing.
Although the chapters are organized by clear themes, I never knew where any particular chapter was headed. Many sentences end with ellipses [...] where a normal period or perhaps a colon would have served, which is not a convention I can remember seeing in any other nonfiction, and, whenever I saw it, I felt the author was expressing doubt or an incomplete thought. The jargon "Astroturfers" was used once in the final paragraphs of Chapter 7 but was not defined until Chapter 10 ("government and corporate agents [who] pretend to be grassroots activists, and establish fake movements on social media"). Generally, my sense was that hundreds of ideas were bouncing around and hadn't yet settled into a pattern.
The book is indeed entertaining, and I picked up some facts, perhaps meeting the author's intentions. I do believe, though, that for a book to be solidly informative, it has to explain more thoroughly up front where it's coming from and where it's going, craft a thesis, and, at times, pick a side. Otherwise, what I'm given remains a list of anecdotes and facts. At the end of Democracy, the author reminds us that the Earth's roundness and gravity are scientific facts that can't be changed by democratic councils. That is rather obvious, and I would have hoped for our advancement a bit beyond that by the end of this long book.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I often read books on democracy. They are usually written by political scientists who want to say something new in their field, impress other academics, or make a call to action to the general public. It's a little bewildering for me to read a book on democracy by someone who primarily identifies as a novelist, has a score to settle with anonymous Internet commenters, and doesn't have a philosophical prescription. People die every day for lack of democracy. I realize there are many uncertainties and no easy answers, but I want the author to care enough to make strong recommendations.
One good feature is that the scope is wide. The author views a lot of social phenomena under the rubric of democracy and explains how to see them in that light.
In the first part, the first chapter (rather problematically) includes discussions of social enforcement among both gorillas and today's Native Americans, with a subheading "From primates to primitive peoples." (As a technicality, humans are primates, and today's non-human primates are not the direct ancestors of humans but rather evolutionary cousins — but for me to point out this technicality is hazy hand-waving at a larger problem of putting certain humans in the primate chapter.) Anyway, I was nonetheless interested to hear that the Utku Inuit discourage anger because they fear that someone who can't moderate their emotions might go on to seize political control of their small group. The discussion moves on to the democratic organization of groups of increasing size, then to the feudalism of the Middle Ages (which did have some democratic groups, e.g. monasteries), then to parliaments that arose as representative democracies.
The second part examines modern forms of government and protest movements, or what we would normally call to mind when we hear the word "democracy." This includes a brief discussion on the merits of violent and nonviolent protests. Violent insurrections have sometimes been effective to deal with imminent, fundamental problems, like a person's own enslavement, whereas more optional efforts like organizing in one's spare time for slightly improved workplace conditions may need to aspire, rather, to win a battle for hearts and minds, and that usually means protesting nonviolently.
The third part discusses public institutions that can be more or less democratic in their character, namely schools, newspapers, military, and police. The author shares his own recollections of being a schoolboy who felt frustrated with the authoritarian injustices of British headmasters. (He seems to have more clarity and to feel more strongly about this than about his open question of the use of violence in social protests.)
The fourth part discusses the economic sphere: whether our workplaces are democratic, whether imperialist powers bestow technological and economic infrastructure upon a people that they would not have asked for or that is poor compensation for what is stolen from them; modern notions of spending power; and various conceptions of money, bartering, and sharing.
Although the chapters are organized by clear themes, I never knew where any particular chapter was headed. Many sentences end with ellipses [...] where a normal period or perhaps a colon would have served, which is not a convention I can remember seeing in any other nonfiction, and, whenever I saw it, I felt the author was expressing doubt or an incomplete thought. The jargon "Astroturfers" was used once in the final paragraphs of Chapter 7 but was not defined until Chapter 10 ("government and corporate agents [who] pretend to be grassroots activists, and establish fake movements on social media"). Generally, my sense was that hundreds of ideas were bouncing around and hadn't yet settled into a pattern.
The book is indeed entertaining, and I picked up some facts, perhaps meeting the author's intentions. I do believe, though, that for a book to be solidly informative, it has to explain more thoroughly up front where it's coming from and where it's going, craft a thesis, and, at times, pick a side. Otherwise, what I'm given remains a list of anecdotes and facts. At the end of Democracy, the author reminds us that the Earth's roundness and gravity are scientific facts that can't be changed by democratic councils. That is rather obvious, and I would have hoped for our advancement a bit beyond that by the end of this long book.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2020
Don’t be confused with Nick Capulets book a users guide to democracy this is democracy are users guide by Josh Sheldon who in my opinion is awesome. He covers everything from the beginning of hierarchies socialism how we protect ourselves from the police to military the economy from my workplace to daily life. What made it most interesting is that if you don’t even like politics, But love history the new love this book. I love both and was so excited when I started reading and found the historical format. He should really put that in his review… That’s just my opinion though. Anyway I loved it and I highly recommend it if you love history as I said and or politics you’ll love this book. If you just love knowing useless facts they have those in here as well. He didn’t have a political bend one way or the other and I’ve seen reviews were they say this is propaganda, but they never say for Woodside and for the life of me I don’t see it. To me he just sent out a fax before you and let you decide for yourself. No sentence in this book starts with “I think“ or the right opinion is . It was all just historical facts about…with well what they did and how they live… So I don’t get it maybe they didn’t really read the book I DK. Anyway I always go off on tangents I’m so sorry I love the book I highly recommend it go get it it’s so good!
August 22, 2020
Democracy is an interesting and timely book. As we slog through the 2020 election cycle here in the US, it was interesting to read this book and learn about the history of democracy. This is a book that will require attention and thought to get through, but it is well worth it.
August 21, 2020
Entertaining, Informative, and Insightful!!
As the name suggests ‘Democracy - A User’s Guide’ is a book that speaks on various aspects of democracy, written by Joss Sheldon. This book does not restrict to the general assumption of democracy which we generally associate with the governance of a nation on the macro level but it gives a much broader sense of democracy which touches upon various levels in our day to day life including our home, society, workplaces, schools, etc.
The book is very neatly divided into four sections in which it starts with a brief history of democracy, transformation from ‘direct democracy’ to ‘representative democracy’, some innovative case studies on how it is being implemented in the education system in few schools across various countries and lastly how democratic values are essential in our workplaces and economy. The language used in the book is very simple and equally easy to understand. One thing I am impressed with is the humongous amount of references and information gathered by Joss. Instead of being very theoretical, the author has tried to compile a large pool of stories and historic events with references on highlighting various aspects of which he wishes to put-forth. The first section narrates lots of short stories on how our ancestors and even animal clans have naturally contributed to the evolution of democracy to its current stage.
The incidents of Gorillas and Chimpanzees show how our sister-taxon used violence, ostracism for restoring democratic values. Readers will be amazed to read some very interesting methodologies such as anger management technique used by UTKUs, ridiculing by Kung’s & mass disobedience by TIKOPIANs give very different perspectives on micro-management of democratic values. It goes on narrating the evolution of ‘direct democracy’ practiced by these clans to ‘representative democracy’ adopted in middle age. The book focused more on European countries like Britain, Spain & France along with ancient Greek & Roman empires as these were the major empires that ruled over half of the Globe in later history. The practice of paying Athenians to attend the mass democratic assemblies shows the importance given on the participation of even the poorest in the democratic process. However, I would have loved to read if the book could also throw some light on the condition of democracy in some of the ancient cultures like Egypt, India & China before the imperialism era of European empires. I was surprised to know about Zeguo in Authoritarian China which holds representative democracy which votes on core issues rather than representatives.
While I think the first two sections are a must-read for students, the third one is very much applicable for parents to read on how a truly democratic way of teaching can bring out wonderful results in their kids. The case study on ‘Oldest Children’s Democracy in the World’ - Summerhill School in Britain or the “Hole in the wall” experiments conducted by Sugata Mitra serves as very strong testimonies to the same. Book also explains effectively the importance of the right information and how current corporate media houses can amend people’s perception with false propaganda. While the classic example of modern social media is the 15M movement, which led to the creation of Podemos, and how it rallied support for the Bentley Blockade. People will understand how the importance of free media, police, and the army. Along with his personal experience, Joss speaks on how we get bullied at our workplaces by the employers/ bosses/ colleagues in many cases. At the same time, certain case studies including that of Netflix showcases what positive changes the freedom at the workplace can bring in. Book also touches on the “Plutocracy Problem” on which the author has also discussed various options that can be exercised to minimize or get rid of the issue. However, readers can evaluate themselves on which of the solutions can work well and to what extent to restore economic democracy.
I must say that the book is a real page-turner and truly informative. Highly recommend this read for everyone, as a large population among us is living in ‘representative democracies’ while at the same time there are many countries which still don’t have real freedom of democracy. This book will introduce you to various dimensions of democracy, how democracy has evolved and it will keep on reminding you to exercise your duties towards conservation of our democratic freedom to keep striving for making this world a better place.
As the name suggests ‘Democracy - A User’s Guide’ is a book that speaks on various aspects of democracy, written by Joss Sheldon. This book does not restrict to the general assumption of democracy which we generally associate with the governance of a nation on the macro level but it gives a much broader sense of democracy which touches upon various levels in our day to day life including our home, society, workplaces, schools, etc.
The book is very neatly divided into four sections in which it starts with a brief history of democracy, transformation from ‘direct democracy’ to ‘representative democracy’, some innovative case studies on how it is being implemented in the education system in few schools across various countries and lastly how democratic values are essential in our workplaces and economy. The language used in the book is very simple and equally easy to understand. One thing I am impressed with is the humongous amount of references and information gathered by Joss. Instead of being very theoretical, the author has tried to compile a large pool of stories and historic events with references on highlighting various aspects of which he wishes to put-forth. The first section narrates lots of short stories on how our ancestors and even animal clans have naturally contributed to the evolution of democracy to its current stage.
The incidents of Gorillas and Chimpanzees show how our sister-taxon used violence, ostracism for restoring democratic values. Readers will be amazed to read some very interesting methodologies such as anger management technique used by UTKUs, ridiculing by Kung’s & mass disobedience by TIKOPIANs give very different perspectives on micro-management of democratic values. It goes on narrating the evolution of ‘direct democracy’ practiced by these clans to ‘representative democracy’ adopted in middle age. The book focused more on European countries like Britain, Spain & France along with ancient Greek & Roman empires as these were the major empires that ruled over half of the Globe in later history. The practice of paying Athenians to attend the mass democratic assemblies shows the importance given on the participation of even the poorest in the democratic process. However, I would have loved to read if the book could also throw some light on the condition of democracy in some of the ancient cultures like Egypt, India & China before the imperialism era of European empires. I was surprised to know about Zeguo in Authoritarian China which holds representative democracy which votes on core issues rather than representatives.
While I think the first two sections are a must-read for students, the third one is very much applicable for parents to read on how a truly democratic way of teaching can bring out wonderful results in their kids. The case study on ‘Oldest Children’s Democracy in the World’ - Summerhill School in Britain or the “Hole in the wall” experiments conducted by Sugata Mitra serves as very strong testimonies to the same. Book also explains effectively the importance of the right information and how current corporate media houses can amend people’s perception with false propaganda. While the classic example of modern social media is the 15M movement, which led to the creation of Podemos, and how it rallied support for the Bentley Blockade. People will understand how the importance of free media, police, and the army. Along with his personal experience, Joss speaks on how we get bullied at our workplaces by the employers/ bosses/ colleagues in many cases. At the same time, certain case studies including that of Netflix showcases what positive changes the freedom at the workplace can bring in. Book also touches on the “Plutocracy Problem” on which the author has also discussed various options that can be exercised to minimize or get rid of the issue. However, readers can evaluate themselves on which of the solutions can work well and to what extent to restore economic democracy.
I must say that the book is a real page-turner and truly informative. Highly recommend this read for everyone, as a large population among us is living in ‘representative democracies’ while at the same time there are many countries which still don’t have real freedom of democracy. This book will introduce you to various dimensions of democracy, how democracy has evolved and it will keep on reminding you to exercise your duties towards conservation of our democratic freedom to keep striving for making this world a better place.
August 23, 2020
So enjoyable to read a book that offers practical solutions to a world that often seems a bit hopeless. Joss Sheldon shows really well how a better, more democratic society is within our reach.
It’s not an academic book, but with a very enjoyable writing style, the author makes scholars’ (sometimes) complex presented ideas accessible to any reader :)
It’s not an academic book, but with a very enjoyable writing style, the author makes scholars’ (sometimes) complex presented ideas accessible to any reader :)
August 26, 2020
4.5 Stars. Excellent research and readable presentation. I was particularly taken by the recounting of all the times peaceful protesters were met with violence and the times that the supposedly meek went on a rampage. For example: Suffragettes rioted in the streets, breaking windows, and behaving badly. On the other hand, peaceful marches were met with beating, *molestation*, and incarceration. Protests are legal under the Constitutional right to free speech and have been going on since the beginning. But to continue - the history of and categorization of democracies in history and around the world are well covered and enlarge on those civics classes we all took as teens. Good reading.
August 3, 2020
Democracy, a User’s Guide is a tour de force of research, organisation, clarity of thought and presentation that provides the best analysis I’ve read of the multiple aspects of democracy, its failures, successes, and importance as a means of improving the quality of life.
In the Introduction we are asked, “What good is selecting our politicians, if we cannot control our media, police or soldiers? If we must blindly follow our teachers’ and bosses’ commands, is it not a little naïve to believe that we are the masters of our own destinies? And if our resources are controlled by a tiny cabal of plutocrats, bankers and corporations; can we honestly say that our economies are being run for us?”
After reading the book you will know the answer and what you can do about it.
The layout is ideal. In every chapter the author states the problem, provides examples, proposes solutions, then summarises—always in a manner that is irreproachably even-handed; criticising when necessary, praising when appropriate in rational and informative prose that is a delight to read.
The intriguing history of democracy practiced by other primates is followed by that used by hunter-gatherer societies for hundreds of thousands of years until the relatively recent past when the introduction of farming and towns wrought changes that have led to today’s less than democratic world.
Subsequent chapters on the astonishing variety of democratic organisations to be found in every human situation from education to the economy, public service to the media, workplace to politics… inform, entertain and provoke careful thought, while providing essential and, for me at least, new and exciting ideas and information for the debate humans must have if they hope to reshape society as a true democracy for the benefit of everyone, not just the oligarchs.
In my opinion, the way we are governed and organise our lives, activities, workplaces and finances should be part of the education curriculum at all levels, if we want our children to enjoy a full and satisfying life. Yet it is rare for schools to examine such things in depth. This book would be a valuable resource for such study in schools at all levels.
I can’t help wondering if, instead of the headmaster’s annual rant about the line of succession of English kings, wars and conquests, we had been taught about democratic medieval guilds that protected individual business and workers, then we would have fought harder to prevent the predatory practices of oligarchs whose supermarkets, and other supranational corporations have replaced the legions of small enterprises that used to benefit the community instead of absent shareholders.
I heartily recommend this book to everyone interested in the way we are governed, and how we could improve things if we put our minds to it.
In the Introduction we are asked, “What good is selecting our politicians, if we cannot control our media, police or soldiers? If we must blindly follow our teachers’ and bosses’ commands, is it not a little naïve to believe that we are the masters of our own destinies? And if our resources are controlled by a tiny cabal of plutocrats, bankers and corporations; can we honestly say that our economies are being run for us?”
After reading the book you will know the answer and what you can do about it.
The layout is ideal. In every chapter the author states the problem, provides examples, proposes solutions, then summarises—always in a manner that is irreproachably even-handed; criticising when necessary, praising when appropriate in rational and informative prose that is a delight to read.
The intriguing history of democracy practiced by other primates is followed by that used by hunter-gatherer societies for hundreds of thousands of years until the relatively recent past when the introduction of farming and towns wrought changes that have led to today’s less than democratic world.
Subsequent chapters on the astonishing variety of democratic organisations to be found in every human situation from education to the economy, public service to the media, workplace to politics… inform, entertain and provoke careful thought, while providing essential and, for me at least, new and exciting ideas and information for the debate humans must have if they hope to reshape society as a true democracy for the benefit of everyone, not just the oligarchs.
In my opinion, the way we are governed and organise our lives, activities, workplaces and finances should be part of the education curriculum at all levels, if we want our children to enjoy a full and satisfying life. Yet it is rare for schools to examine such things in depth. This book would be a valuable resource for such study in schools at all levels.
I can’t help wondering if, instead of the headmaster’s annual rant about the line of succession of English kings, wars and conquests, we had been taught about democratic medieval guilds that protected individual business and workers, then we would have fought harder to prevent the predatory practices of oligarchs whose supermarkets, and other supranational corporations have replaced the legions of small enterprises that used to benefit the community instead of absent shareholders.
I heartily recommend this book to everyone interested in the way we are governed, and how we could improve things if we put our minds to it.
August 3, 2020
As a whole, this book is well-structured and offers brilliant arguments that are presented in a conversational manner that feels personal to each reader. A section of the book that is particularly personal is ‘Part Three - Hey Teacher Leave Them Kids Alone!’, which of course is paying homage to the greatest anti-establishment band of all time - Pink Floyd. Joss Sheldon discusses his trouble with authority in a school setting and his love for festivals for their non-materialistic outlook on life. Sheldon states how his school career was dominated by three C’s - “Conformity. Compliance. Captivity.” creating a conformist personality that sticks with children, which then discusses Iroquois’s culture’s different approach to education.
Whilst reading, the reader should bear in mind that the writer intends to entertain and inform, and not to provide answers. But rather to empower the public to not settle for the scraps of power that are thrown at us to keep us quiet… However, it provides snippets of democracy in other cultures that are tangible goals introduced into British culture.
Joss Sheldon is a free-thinking and well-educated writer, who has offered the public alternative solutions and ideas for many years. Sheldon provides readers with the tools and knowledge they need to question the status quo and empower readers to ask the big questions and hold power accountable by not just accepting the scraps of power thrown to us.
Democracy: A User’s Guide is a marvelous book for anyone who is interested in power, politics, and how we are governed in society. It is highly informative and explains concepts and alternative solutions in a clear way that allows readers to easily follow what the writer is saying. In addition, this book has an ethos of empowerment that assures the reader that the current situation has the ability to shift - we can change democracy if we put our minds to it.
Whilst reading, the reader should bear in mind that the writer intends to entertain and inform, and not to provide answers. But rather to empower the public to not settle for the scraps of power that are thrown at us to keep us quiet… However, it provides snippets of democracy in other cultures that are tangible goals introduced into British culture.
Joss Sheldon is a free-thinking and well-educated writer, who has offered the public alternative solutions and ideas for many years. Sheldon provides readers with the tools and knowledge they need to question the status quo and empower readers to ask the big questions and hold power accountable by not just accepting the scraps of power thrown to us.
Democracy: A User’s Guide is a marvelous book for anyone who is interested in power, politics, and how we are governed in society. It is highly informative and explains concepts and alternative solutions in a clear way that allows readers to easily follow what the writer is saying. In addition, this book has an ethos of empowerment that assures the reader that the current situation has the ability to shift - we can change democracy if we put our minds to it.
August 24, 2020
Joss Sheldon has written another great read. I find him to be a master of writing books that make you go HMMM! I admittedly am an older man with more conservative values, however' I have greatly enjoyed all of Mr. Sheldon's writings. Even though, "Democracy: A User's Guide", is quite different than Sheldon's other books it is well researched and stays true to his more liberal philosophy. I find it very helpful/enlightening to read different views to truly try to round out who I am as a person and citizen. I have the belief that for the majority of people, coexistence is not a problem. Helping their fellow man is not a problem. Sharing and taking care of our people is not a problem. The place my mind went as some of the research came together is that there is a class "war" that is taking place and since they tend to control all of the ways we get information they pit the people against each other through race, gender and any other means possible to keep the country at the 50 / 50 split. Keep the people at odds so they don't see how the elite are working the system, that they establish, for their personal gain. It is sickening when the politicians and corporate leaders break the laws that they establish, hurt or destroy the citizenry and get absolutely no punishment or just enough club fed to say they were punished. "We" all need to really see how we are being manipulated and pull together for the betterment of our world. Everyone should read this book - whether you agree with all or any of the writing, it will make you think and thinking is a great thing.
August 15, 2020
There are a few, masterful books, that I wish had been part of my curriculum in school while I was learning about what made our Nation what it was. Now there are two at the top of my list. The first is Howard Zinn's History of America, and now it has been joined by Joss Sheldon's Democracy: A User's Guide. It's rare to see a subject so well-investigated yet so accessible. Author Sheldon, while known as a superbly conversational fiction writer, provides us an amazing combination of a completely engaging voice and superb cred as a curator of examples to support the full range of his arguments. Democracy is not a form of government for the lazy or uninformed. We face dangers all along the road, to it being co-opted into some new form of fascism, oligarchy, kleptocracy, etc. Tyranny must be guarded against. This book teaches, using examples of how this can work in several specific areas of peoples' lives, politically, economically and in the forms of education and services communities may need government help securing for their own needs. Each is fully revealed, which of course, poses new questions and suggests many new answers. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this book and recommend it very highly to anyone with a serious interest in making our government work properly.
August 24, 2020
This book goes way beyond what one would expect from its title. When I started reading this book, I didn't go much into understanding the contents of the book. And, I am so glad that I didn't. This book took me far beyond what my general understanding of the word "Democracy" was.
On a broader level, this book was one eye-opener for me. I believed that belonging to the world's biggest democracy, India, I know pretty much all I would ever need to know about democracy. Well, I couldn't be more wrong.
This book begins with a [very] brief history of democracy and is followed by how democracy evolved, giving instances from different places and different time periods. The book is very well-researched and I would say the content could even overwhelm you at some points. All the same, you would enjoy this book if you are greedy for more knowledge on democracy!
On a broader level, this book was one eye-opener for me. I believed that belonging to the world's biggest democracy, India, I know pretty much all I would ever need to know about democracy. Well, I couldn't be more wrong.
This book begins with a [very] brief history of democracy and is followed by how democracy evolved, giving instances from different places and different time periods. The book is very well-researched and I would say the content could even overwhelm you at some points. All the same, you would enjoy this book if you are greedy for more knowledge on democracy!
August 25, 2020
I received a free book and the views and opinions are my own. I believe in life long learning and my challenge is to read non-fiction books to learn new things. This book came at the right time with the way the world is heading it was interesting to read the different types of democracy in this world. Starting with the history and showing how we progress and then go back two steps. It was interesting to see how democracy worked in the animal world as well. This is well written and lots of research went into this book. It’s a book that makes you ponder, think and write notes. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn about democracy and how we can obtain it. For the people by the people!
December 9, 2020
Is it enough for us to simply elect our leaders and sit back, doing nothing, while they rule over us like autocrats? What good is it to select our politicians, if we have no control over media, police, or military? These penetrating questions are asked in Joss Sheldon’s Democracy: A User’s Guide as he explores democracy in action in a number of institutions and places around the world. Sheldon’s thesis is that we can have a greater say in how we’re governed, we just have to inform ourselves and act.
An insightful look at how democracy is supposed to work and is recommended reading for anyone who truly cares about living in a truly representative society.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I give it five stars.
An insightful look at how democracy is supposed to work and is recommended reading for anyone who truly cares about living in a truly representative society.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I give it five stars.
February 9, 2021
Good read for the times we're in now!
Sheldon pens a unique and interesting political title in DEMOCRACY: A User's Guide/ This is the second book of this author's that I've read. The book gives information that is not just what it means to be democratic, but what it really means, in the heart of a country, especially one trying to heal itself and its citizens. It's an interesting political perspective on rules and rulers, and the control they do and don't have, and the power that is given and that is taken. It's not party against party, it's the construction of our country. I enjoyed this read, and I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Sheldon pens a unique and interesting political title in DEMOCRACY: A User's Guide/ This is the second book of this author's that I've read. The book gives information that is not just what it means to be democratic, but what it really means, in the heart of a country, especially one trying to heal itself and its citizens. It's an interesting political perspective on rules and rulers, and the control they do and don't have, and the power that is given and that is taken. It's not party against party, it's the construction of our country. I enjoyed this read, and I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
November 10, 2020
Absolutely sensational, deep dive into the many facets of democracy, both modern and generations past. It looks at democracy from several angles (economic, educational, media, political,) to see how much exists in society and questions whether it is less than many residents of democratic societies care to admit. It doesn't preport to be the definitive guide on the subject. But as an introduction into the subject, it could hardly be more thoughtful done.
August 21, 2020
I learned a lot about the origins of democracy (no far earlier than ancient Greece). I also found his description of the democratic system in the Middle Ages very interesting.
Joss describes many areas like politics, police, school system, money, workplace with interesting ideas of how we can change them to be more democratic.
A great read for readers interested in democracy.
Joss describes many areas like politics, police, school system, money, workplace with interesting ideas of how we can change them to be more democratic.
A great read for readers interested in democracy.
October 13, 2020
I received a copy of this for free as an Advanced Reader Copy.
This was an easy-to-read and entertaining look at democracy from a historical perspective, through modern day and some thoughts on what it could be. It’s not a super long book, so it’s condensed, but I think it’s a good overview. There were a lot of angles here that I hadn’t really considered, including economic democracy and educational democracy, and I’m really interested in learning more about them both now. There’s some very timely information in here about policing and military policies as well. All in all a good read.
This was an easy-to-read and entertaining look at democracy from a historical perspective, through modern day and some thoughts on what it could be. It’s not a super long book, so it’s condensed, but I think it’s a good overview. There were a lot of angles here that I hadn’t really considered, including economic democracy and educational democracy, and I’m really interested in learning more about them both now. There’s some very timely information in here about policing and military policies as well. All in all a good read.
December 7, 2020
Fascinating Look at Democracy
I really enjoyed this extremely well researched and written book about various forms of democracy from almost the beginning of time to the present day.
I particularly liked the sections on early societies and how we gradually developed over centuries. Well worth a read!
I really enjoyed this extremely well researched and written book about various forms of democracy from almost the beginning of time to the present day.
I particularly liked the sections on early societies and how we gradually developed over centuries. Well worth a read!
October 12, 2020
A deep dive into democracy not only as a type of government but as a way of making decisions in business, education, economics, etc. Sheldon provides many present-day as well as historical examples as he makes the case for more democracy in our lives.
August 22, 2020
Another masterpiece!
You could say I’m a fan of Joss Sheldon’s works! They always keep amazing me and intriguing with their fresh ideas as well as amazing dedication to the subject that the author wishes to talk about!
When i learned that there’s a new book coming out, that made my day, and just how could i not get my hands on an advance copy in order to enjoy it?
Democracy: a User’s guide, is a fantastic blend of research and Author’s unique writing! It’s a book that everyone should read at least once as it’ll give you all the valuable information to make your own conclusion: what is democracy, and whether we truly live in a democratic world!
Explore the world and places and where democracy takes different form, an sometimes (no, often times) the peace is met with unrivalled violence and hatred. Understand what it means to be free! Free to voice your opinion, free to choose something that will have an impact on your life!
I highly recommend this book, and trust me, reading it once is not enough, as the book is not for light reading, it awakens you, and makes you think! And currently we all need that! A good book that will keep you wondering, asking even more questions, and being thirsty for more!
You could say I’m a fan of Joss Sheldon’s works! They always keep amazing me and intriguing with their fresh ideas as well as amazing dedication to the subject that the author wishes to talk about!
When i learned that there’s a new book coming out, that made my day, and just how could i not get my hands on an advance copy in order to enjoy it?
Democracy: a User’s guide, is a fantastic blend of research and Author’s unique writing! It’s a book that everyone should read at least once as it’ll give you all the valuable information to make your own conclusion: what is democracy, and whether we truly live in a democratic world!
Explore the world and places and where democracy takes different form, an sometimes (no, often times) the peace is met with unrivalled violence and hatred. Understand what it means to be free! Free to voice your opinion, free to choose something that will have an impact on your life!
I highly recommend this book, and trust me, reading it once is not enough, as the book is not for light reading, it awakens you, and makes you think! And currently we all need that! A good book that will keep you wondering, asking even more questions, and being thirsty for more!
August 21, 2020
Very interesting book by Joss Sheldon. With all the 2020 political commercials, ads and the news lately I wondered if the USA was still being run as a democracy or just run by two constantly warring sides. So this book was refreshing to read. Definitely a great read in the year of voting for President of our country.
January 18, 2021
“The information they deserve” – a quote from this book is at the heart of why it is a schizophrenic thing. The book is long on information, but short on cause, effect and consequences. I would say “on one hand, he says this…” etc. but the author is examining Democracy from so many different angles, he keeps getting in his own way. In the introduction, he describes himself as an anarchist. An anarchist systematically studying a series of systems? Odd. The book is well written and well researched, full of large-scale and small-scale examples of democracy. He also illustrates why Britain’s and America’s public school system is systemic garbage and wholly monstrous. So, good on ya there. He writes with rapturous prose the small, neighborhood communes in Venezuela, then moves on to the next system without showing any negative effects. When there was an historical problem (mass murder, starvation, totalitarianism), the author breezes past this on onto the next example. It is possible to study issues and come to the very wrong/worse conclusions. Because it is so well researched, I will give it 3 stars. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2022
Economically what the author wants is centrally planned economy instead of the free market. When it comes to governance he uses examples of primitive societies who's biggest achievements don't go beyond bows and arrows. I don't think I'd like to live in author's world of a planned hunter gatherer economy.
I was also amused by his meticulously researched explanation of open source software. I'm sure Microsoft is very pleased that at least someone believes they created Unix.
I was also amused by his meticulously researched explanation of open source software. I'm sure Microsoft is very pleased that at least someone believes they created Unix.
January 1, 2025
This is a great book for exploring what Democracy is, and the different flavours and approaches we may wish to make use of in our own lives and communities.
It has the best explanation about how money is created from nothing, and without specifically saying so, provides one of the reasons why poor people struggle to live, and rich people have no such concerns.
I will be dipping back into this from time to time. Well worth a read.
It has the best explanation about how money is created from nothing, and without specifically saying so, provides one of the reasons why poor people struggle to live, and rich people have no such concerns.
I will be dipping back into this from time to time. Well worth a read.
January 17, 2021
An intense review of every type of governance from around the world. The time frame is from hundreds of years ago to the current.
January 2, 2022
3.5 This was the politics / history textbook every teen wished they’d received in 12th grade in place of whatever boring volume they were actually assigned. I didn’t know what to expect aside from from a lesson on democracy from a novelist, and I suppose that’s exactly what I received.
The lengthy text (760 pages!) is well-broken up into 4 clear sections, focusing on the history of democracy, the evolution of direct democracy to modern-day representative democracy, and then a series of insights and examples of how democracy is at play in education, the military, police and other social areas. The final section focuses on the economy and how democracy affects (or ought to affect) the workplace.
The writing style is engaging and there is much to enjoy and learn throughout. Not one to usually enjoy either history or politics texts, I was surprised to find I kept turning the pages and enjoying the anecdotes and incredibly well-researched materials presented. The history covered in the first two sections covered centuries of interesting details about democracy without boring me for a moment - we’re talking tribes, to Ancient Greece, to pirates! - and for the modern examples of democracy, I was impressed and engaged by the clear working examples provided and sourced from all around the globe. I was particularly surprised to learn of Zeguo’s (China) representative democratic approach. Th ebook gave me a lot to think about and a series of areas I will continue to look up on my own.
I was not happy with the initial section lumping primates to primitive human tribes - it’s hugely problematic and unacceptable - though I suspect it was just a poor presentation decision, as there was no actual comparison within the text beyond their sectional proximity and sharing of a heading. On the other hand, I found the education section particularly interesting and enjoyable with ideas about true democracy in educating students. I always enjoy reading about Summerhill and it’s democratic or “free” schooling system and imagine many parents would enjoy it.
I will also say that while the author states early in the introduction that he does tend toward a left bias (clear in his actual novels), this book certainly does not fall into any strong leaning camp. The scope in this book is incredibly wide, and I felt it read more like a series of wild history lessons than any clear how-to manual. In that sense, much as the author muses, perhaps the title “user’s guide” is a bit of a misnomer. For this reason I enjoyed it. I was not being influenced, and instead my love for narratives was pandered to by an enjoyably presented collection of facts, stories, and plenty of information that I previously had not accessed.
*Thanks to HiddenGemsBooks and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The lengthy text (760 pages!) is well-broken up into 4 clear sections, focusing on the history of democracy, the evolution of direct democracy to modern-day representative democracy, and then a series of insights and examples of how democracy is at play in education, the military, police and other social areas. The final section focuses on the economy and how democracy affects (or ought to affect) the workplace.
The writing style is engaging and there is much to enjoy and learn throughout. Not one to usually enjoy either history or politics texts, I was surprised to find I kept turning the pages and enjoying the anecdotes and incredibly well-researched materials presented. The history covered in the first two sections covered centuries of interesting details about democracy without boring me for a moment - we’re talking tribes, to Ancient Greece, to pirates! - and for the modern examples of democracy, I was impressed and engaged by the clear working examples provided and sourced from all around the globe. I was particularly surprised to learn of Zeguo’s (China) representative democratic approach. Th ebook gave me a lot to think about and a series of areas I will continue to look up on my own.
I was not happy with the initial section lumping primates to primitive human tribes - it’s hugely problematic and unacceptable - though I suspect it was just a poor presentation decision, as there was no actual comparison within the text beyond their sectional proximity and sharing of a heading. On the other hand, I found the education section particularly interesting and enjoyable with ideas about true democracy in educating students. I always enjoy reading about Summerhill and it’s democratic or “free” schooling system and imagine many parents would enjoy it.
I will also say that while the author states early in the introduction that he does tend toward a left bias (clear in his actual novels), this book certainly does not fall into any strong leaning camp. The scope in this book is incredibly wide, and I felt it read more like a series of wild history lessons than any clear how-to manual. In that sense, much as the author muses, perhaps the title “user’s guide” is a bit of a misnomer. For this reason I enjoyed it. I was not being influenced, and instead my love for narratives was pandered to by an enjoyably presented collection of facts, stories, and plenty of information that I previously had not accessed.
*Thanks to HiddenGemsBooks and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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