WTF?
A Times top 10 bestseller
Published on 21. June 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-4736-6131-8 (ISBN)
Description
THE TOP 10 BESTSELLER
'Richly argued and brilliantly written... a deeply thoughtful analysis that should be mandatory reading for anyone seeking to understand where we have gone wrong.' Vernon Bogdanor, Financial Times
In WTF? Robert Peston draws on his years of experience as a political, economics and business journalist to show us what has gone bad and gives us a manifesto to put at least some of it right.
Framed by two letters to his father (who died in early 2016) WTF? is Robert Peston's highly personal account of what those who have ruled us for years got so badly wrong, and what we need to do to mend the terrible fractures in our society.
With characteristic passion and clarity he looks at what must happen to prevent democracy being subverted by technocratic geniuses with the ability to manipulate social media, how and whether it is possible to make a success of leaving the EU, what the lessons should be of the appalling Grenfell Tower tragedy, whether robots can be stopped from taking our work, what can be done to staunch the widening gap between rich and poor, and how to raise living standards for all.
WTF? is a trenchant, often entertaining account of the recent past. It is also a call to action, giving hope to all of us who believe that taking back control is not only vital, but possible.
'A manual for our times that everyone should read.' Matthew d'Ancona
'Richly argued and brilliantly written... a deeply thoughtful analysis that should be mandatory reading for anyone seeking to understand where we have gone wrong.' Vernon Bogdanor, Financial Times
In WTF? Robert Peston draws on his years of experience as a political, economics and business journalist to show us what has gone bad and gives us a manifesto to put at least some of it right.
Framed by two letters to his father (who died in early 2016) WTF? is Robert Peston's highly personal account of what those who have ruled us for years got so badly wrong, and what we need to do to mend the terrible fractures in our society.
With characteristic passion and clarity he looks at what must happen to prevent democracy being subverted by technocratic geniuses with the ability to manipulate social media, how and whether it is possible to make a success of leaving the EU, what the lessons should be of the appalling Grenfell Tower tragedy, whether robots can be stopped from taking our work, what can be done to staunch the widening gap between rich and poor, and how to raise living standards for all.
WTF? is a trenchant, often entertaining account of the recent past. It is also a call to action, giving hope to all of us who believe that taking back control is not only vital, but possible.
'A manual for our times that everyone should read.' Matthew d'Ancona
Reviews / Votes
Tremendously interesting analysis of the mess we've got ourselves into -- Judith Wood * Telegraph * Robert Peston's WTF is a work of meticulous analysis that is also an inspiring, and often moving, manifesto for change. Beautifully-written, it is a manual for our times that everyone should read. * Matthew d'Ancona * Informed, personal, angry and funny: Peston lets rip in an immensely readable and thought-provoking book. * Eddie Mair * Essential reading. * Stylist * This is a more radical, more passionate, swearier book than I would have expected from Peston - and the better for it... WTF is a great primer on how we ended up here. To escape this mess, we must first understand that. * London Evening Standard * This gripping and persuasive account of the mess facing liberal democracy ends with some optimism that politicians will rise to the challenge of responding to the tide of hopelessness. * i newspaper * WTF is a well-argued and comprehensive account of how we became the divided nation that is post-EU referendum Britain and it suggests some thoughtful policy levers that future governments might pull to bring us back together. * Express * It is richly argued and beautifully written... WTF has the prime virtue of encouraging the reader to reflect and argue. Peston has the journalist's gift of the striking turn of phrase, the telling anecdote, and the ability to explain complex economic problems in straightforward terms. But his book is far more than clever journalism. It is a deeply thoughtful analysis that should be mandatory reading for anyone seeking to understand where we have gone wrong. * Financial Times * WTF is possibly the best summary of Britain's problems to be released in recent years. * Young Fabian * Read the book, everyone. It's a superb analysis of the state we're in and what we can do about it. * Cole Moreton * An unbuttoned and vitally even-handed analysis that take in everything from the decline of social mobility to the tyranny of social media. * Metro * Elegant analysis of long term forces driving our politics (inc some solutions). Also a moving tribute to his dad. * Paul Waugh * The chapters on Tony Blair's and Gordon Brown's approach to borrowing, the handling of the banking crash and the failure to address economic inequality in its aftermath are well worth bookmarking. * Guardian *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 200 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
224 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4736-6131-8 (9781473661318)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2017
Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Robert Peston is ITV's political editor, presenter of the politics show Peston, co-host of the podcast The Rest is Money and founder of the education charity, Speakers for Schools (www.speakers4schools.org). He has written seven books, including How Do We Fix This Mess?, Who Runs Britain?, Brown's Britain, WTF?, The Whistleblower and The Crash. For a decade until the end of 2015, he was at the BBC as economics editor and business editor. Peston has won more than 30 awards for his journalism, including Journalist of the Year and Scoop of the Year (twice) from the Royal Television Society. His blog is itv.com/robertpeston, and he is @Peston on Twitter.