2020

A Reckoning

Eric Klinenberg author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Vintage Publishing

Published:7th Mar '24

Should be back in stock very soon

2020 cover

This insightful account by Eric Klinenberg explores societal responses during the pandemic, revealing the importance and fragility of social solidarity through personal stories.

In 2020, renowned sociologist and best-selling author Eric Klinenberg transforms a year marked by devastation into a profound revelation. This insightful and deeply researched account examines the impact of the pandemic on society, offering a cathartic exploration of shared human experiences during crisis. Klinenberg's narrative is both gripping and moving, as he draws on his extensive background in studying societal responses to crises over the past two decades.

The book delves into the lives of seven ordinary individuals who faced extraordinary challenges at the height of the pandemic in New York, the epicenter of the crisis. Through their stories, Klinenberg weaves together data and insights from around the globe, providing an unprecedented understanding of what binds us as communities and what leads to divisions. He raises essential questions about our values and the societal structures that shape our lives, revealing how these elements were tested during such a tumultuous time.

2020 not only highlights the fragility of social solidarity but also emphasizes its critical importance. With contributions from other notable authors and researchers, Klinenberg's work serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the need for connection in times of adversity. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of our society in the wake of a global crisis.

A gripping, deeply moving account of a signal year in modern history, told through the stories of seven ordinary people trying to survive at the epicentre of the crisis. Klinenberg's narrative shows how the legacy of that year continues to shape us, our politics and our personal lives -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies
Elegantly written and well researched . . . filled with impressive detail * Economist *
A sociological investigation of an unforgettable year, 2020 compellingly reveals what the pandemic laid bare about our culture, our institutions, and ourselves -- Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted
A book that's at once intimate and far-ranging, that reveals the importance of social solidarity and also its fragility -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction
By bridging the gaps between individual, community and population, [Klinenberg] shows how pandemics alter society and exacerbate inequality. He follows the threads that connect the individual lived experience to the national phenomenon -- Laura Spinney * New Statesman *

ISBN: 9781847926937

Dimensions: 240mm x 162mm x 41mm

Weight: 691g

464 pages