Up the Down Escalator

The 1990's were Utopian. The Cold War ended; democracy spread around the world. At home the new economy, New Labour and new Britain declared a decisive break with the past. The roaring nineties came to an end on September 11. But then, with the collapse of the high-tech stock boom and increasing fears about globalisation, the shadows had been gathering for some time.

In this book, I argue that pessimism is the most powerful ideology of our times, and it is wrong. Rather, the fundamental forces shaping our society - innovation and technology, globalisation and education, democracy and self-government - should give us grounds for optimism.