A Convenient Truth: A Better Society for Us and the Planet

by Richard G. Wilkinson, Kate E. Pickett

Swedish / Svenska

66 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Richard G. Wilkinson (Richard Gerald Wilkinson; born 1943) is a British researcher in social inequalities in health and the social determinants of health. He is Professor Emeritus of social epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, having retired in 2008. He is also Honorary Professor at University College London.

He is best known for his 2009 book (with Kate Pickett) The Spirit Level, in which he argues that societies with more a equal distribution of incomes have better health outcomes than ones in which the gap between richest and poorest parts society is greater. His 1996 book Unhealthy Societies: The Affliction of Inequality had made the same argument a decade earlier.

Reviews

[Eleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically just reiterates and summarises some of the main points from their much longer book "The Spirit Level" and relates them to efforts to tackle climate change. A bit boring if you've read The Spirit Level, and less satisfying because the depth isn't there. The point about consumerism being driven by status differences was my only actual useful takeaway.