Erica Benner Adventures in Democracy : The Turbulent World of People Power

Sparkling . . . a pageturner full of wit, original insight and unassuming erudition GuardianEnjoyable vitality The TimesHighly stimulating . . . wonderfully readable . . . her analysis of democracys key strengths and weaknesses is forensic Literary ReviewDemocracy is a living, breathing thing and Erica Benner has spent a lifetime thinking about the role ordinary citizens play in keeping it alive from her childhood in postwar Japan, where democracy was imposed on a defeated country, to working in postcommunist Poland, with its sudden gaps of wealth and security. This book draws on her experiences and the deep history of selfruling peoples going back to ancient Greece, the French revolution and Renaissance Florence to rethink some of the toughest questions that we face today. What do democratic ideals of equality mean in a world obsessed with competition, wealth, and greatness? How can we hold the powerful to account? Can we find enough common ground to keep sharing democratic power in the future? Challenging wellworn myths of heroic triumph over tyranny, Benner reveals the inescapable vulnerabilities of people power, inviting us to consider why democracy is worth fighting for and the role each of us must play. | Erica Benner Adventures in Democracy : The Turbulent World of People Power