Rescue: From Global Crisis to a Better World

An optimistic vision of the future after Covid-19 by a leading professor of globalisation at the University of Oxford. We are at a crossroads. The wrecking-ball of Covid-19 has destroyed global norms. Many think that after the devastation there will be a bounce back. To Ian Goldin, Professor of Development and Globalisation at the University of Oxford, this is a retrograde notion. He believes that this crisis can create opportunities for change, just as the Second World War forged the ideas behind the Beveridge Report. Published in 1942, it was revolutionary and laid the foundations for the welfare state alongside a host of other social and economic reforms, changing the world for the better. Ian Goldin tackles the challenges and opportunities posed by the pandemic, ranging from globalisation to the future of jobs, income inequality and geopolitics, the climate crisis and the modern city. It is a fresh, bold call for an optimistic future and one we all have the power to create. (P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

About the Author :
Ian Goldin is Professor of Development and Globalisation at the University of Oxford. He was economic advisor to President Mandela, Vice President of the World Bank and the founding Director of the Oxford Martin School, which brings together over 300 Oxford faculty members to address global challenges. He is a regular keynote speaker on Ted, Google, Zeitgeist and at Davos.

Review :
A hopeful book . . . Goldin makes the case that this may be the moment when we reshape our individual and collective destiny Ian Goldin gives us a bold, compelling account of the lessons of the pandemic: after four decades of neoliberal market thinking, big government is back. Only an activist state can deal with inequality, climate change, and future pandemics. This important book shows that we need not a "reset" but a fundamental rethinking of capitalism if we are to build more just, resilient societies. A fresh and penetrating insight from one of the great authorities on globalisation into what's gone wrong with our world and what needs to be put right. Essential reading for anyone interested in making the world a better place. Rescue provides an urgently needed roadmap for us all. Rescue gives us hope that we can come together to build forward better and shape societies and economies that are fairer, greener and more inclusive. Ian Goldin's prescriptions for investing in people and the planet, and with strong international cooperation, show us how we can create a world that works for all. Ian Goldin offers an insightful perspective on the injustices and crises besetting today's world. His book deserves wide readership - indeed one would like to hope that his wisdom will influence the political leaders who confront the challenge of "building back better" after Covid-19. Ian Goldin's Rescue is an optimistic and insightful analysis of the pros as well as the cons of the pandemic and seeks to assess its potential to reshape our lives for the better. To paraphrase his words and the essence of the title - can the pandemic go down in history as the event that rescued humanity? Goldin brings statistics alive in this optimistic analysis of the positive as well as the negative impact of the pandemic - it is a beacon of hope for the future. This well-researched book shows us what is wrong with our current economic model and provides a convincing clarion call for change after the pandemic. Professor Ian Goldin is mapping the short- and long-term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic in his excellent book Rescue. We know that some negative effects will linger for a long time in our societies and economies, but there is also hope of a brighter future. Professor Goldin points out that something better can come out of this if we make a joint effort to reset our communities on a more sustainable path. This well-written book gives hope of a better future. In this broad-ranging book, Ian Goldin aptly views the West's failure to address at all adequately the Covid-19 virus as emblematic of widespread national failures. To get out of this dystopia, he argues, nations will have to create nothing less than "a different operating system" and they must cooperate far more than in the past. This radical book is a must-read. Rescue is a wise and hopeful book. As the world begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, Ian Goldin has assembled an extraordinary range of data to assess its impact and identify opportunities for transformative change. Just the tonic weary readers need!