Adventures in Democracy

Reviews / Votes

A sparkling account of people power through the ages, and how to save it from itself . . . a page-turner full of wit, original insight and unassuming erudition . . . a timely reminder that we can all play our part -- Katja Hoyer * Guardian * Shows how ancient wisdom might save democracies from anarchy and ruin . . . That she has lived and taught the ideas she writes about gives the book an enjoyable vitality -- Emma Duncan * The Times * Highly stimulating . . . wonderfully readable . . . wherever she darts in history, Benner is a terrific guide, always questioning, always teasing out parallels . . . she brings clarity and curiosity to each issue . . . and a deep understanding of the past . . . her analysis of democracy's key strengths and weaknesses is forensic -- Sarah Dunant * Literary Review * A lively, accessible account of democracy, its strengths and weaknesses over the past 2,500 years . . . it comes with a plea to throw out the self-satisfied view that western democracy is a kind of political perfection, and to bring more honesty to our conversations about the ideal versus the reality of modern democracy -- Michael Foley * The Irish Times * An enjoyable dive into political philosophy... an unusually accessible gut punch of a book... Erica Benner takes readers on a journey across the ages... to explore what happens when the core ideas of democracy are subverted by demagogues and self-absorbed citizens -- Matthew Jones * Survival * An invigorating reflection on the tensions in liberal democracy. Benner weaves together personal reflections on life in Japan and Eastern Europe with a nuanced account of ancient philosophies that are all too often caricatured. Essential reading for anyone tempted to be complacent about the survival of democracy in the twenty-first century -- Catherine Fletcher * author of The Beauty and the Terror * Engaging, illuminating, and arrives at an opportune moment. . . An overriding concern is that though democratic norms encourage us to love equality, we tend to want more of it for ourselves than for the rest -- Sanjay Sipahimalani * The Federal * Erica Ben-ner lends a personal, familiar touch to a difficult, layered subject. The tone of the narrative and how the chapters unfold are riveting - it is almost as if Benner is sitting down to have a meal with you and engaging in a frank, informal discussion about...democracy, its "be-ginnings and myths", the "constant struggles" it has faced over the years and the "mortal dangers" it suffers today * Telegraph India * Political philosopher Erica Benner offers an original, highly humanistic analysis focusing on how individuals have interacted organically with democracy...Benner forensically dissects the strengths and failings of democracy... She offers - in a beautifully written account - instructive lessons about the compromises and contradictions that democratic systems have had to grapple with and the questions that informed citizens must ask themselves when considering their political futures -- John Nilsson-Wright * Global Asia *