The Social Distance Between Us
How Remote Politics Wrecked Britain
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The Social Distance Between Us
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Narrated by:
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Darren McGarvey
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By:
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Darren McGarvey
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Britain is in a long-distance relationship with reality....
From poverty and policing, homelessness and overrun prisons to Grenfell and hostile environments, Britain has long been failing those who need our help the most. There is arguably one unifying theme that links all these afflictions: proximity. Proximity is how close we are to the action and how that affects how we assess, relate to and address whatever that action happens to be. Almost every job requires a level of experience and training with the notable exception of the most powerful people in the country—our political class.
So this is a book about the distance, whether geographical, economic, or cultural, between those who make decisions and the people on the receiving end of them. The distance between the affluent and the poor, how their interests and values diverge, and the assumptions they make about each other's experiences and intentions in the absence of any meaningful interaction. How even those with the noblest aims, inadvertently cause harm as a result of their social remoteness and fail to advance anybody's interests but their own misguided ones.
Could Britain's problem be, not that there is a lot of inequality, but that for generations, a small group of people, who know little about it, have been charged with discussing, debating, and sorting it out? At what point do we look for answers, not to the people who are hardest up, but the apparently educated and sophisticated, whose dominance of Britain's institutions has been virtually unbroken for centuries?
©2022 Darren McGarvey (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Social Distance Between Us
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- Justin Devereux
- 22-05-23
A fantastic overview of the system
A great listen from an Author who is passionate, knowledgeable, honest and credible within the topic he writes. I’m not sure you can ask anymore from a writer of such an important topic. I enjoyed every, fascinating moment - highly recommended.
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- Michael
- 10-01-23
I'm a big fan already...
I'm middle class, so have nothing but biases to lay down here. But for me this is an important book. A fascinating read for anyone with a class consciousness either established or burgeoning.
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- Steven Perrie-Clyde
- 27-06-23
The most impactful book I’ve read and listened too
It’s not often you read a book and feel like it speaks to your experiences in such a profound way.
Darren puts into words the experiences of the adults around me as I grew up, mostly insulated by my single mother and her determination to give us the best life we could have, growing up on benefits, fearing the police, and not getting the right sort of educational support in school to me I thought were normal.
Im 27 now, and only now looking back can I fully appreciate the work my mum put in, she really did do a great job insulating me from all those hardships and I’m now no longer poor, destitute or worrying.
It shouldn’t take a book for me to realise this, but in any case, I’m glad it did.
This is a book everyone should read if you live in Britain.
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- Fiona K
- 19-10-23
So impactful, a must read and pass on
Knowledgeable, and honest this needs to be read across all classes to reduce the social distance between us.
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- iman
- 18-07-22
Should be read by all
As one that benefits from the current class divide in Britain, I found it really interesting how this book touched on concerns and observations I had over the last year, especially while working with the underprivileged who I serve in my professional capacity. Some uncomfortable truths are laid out for us to consider around our ways of thinking, entitlement and behaviours which have direct impact on those less fortunate than us.
I recommend this book for all, from every political persuasion and social and economical background.
It is time to look at our broken country and do something about it.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 23-12-22
Fantastic listen
Comprehensive and interesting insights into class impact on so many areas of life in the uk
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- Anonymous User
- 16-11-23
Essential reading
Wow - what an amazing book and contribution to society. So well researched, eye opening, powerful and provocative. Everyone in Britain should read this!
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- Anonymous User
- 23-07-22
Excellent and timely evaluation of our society
Excellent and timely evaluation of the ills that face the UK. What the symptoms of these ills are and even a glimpse of how to solve them. Thank you Darren, this book is The Road to Wigan Pier of 21st century.
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- Book Lover
- 14-12-22
Very good
Really interesting. Very well read. And very true. Enjoyed immensely. Good use of a credit.
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- L. Campbell
- 12-10-22
Brilliant
A thorough and excellent analysis of the British class system. Makes for uncomfortable reading at times but is nevertheless spot on.
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