The Lonely Century (a Call To Reconnect)

By (author) Hertz Noreena
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''Indispensable, engaging and brilliant book about the pervasiveness of loneliness in the twenty-first century and its far-reaching impact...a hopeful book that couldn''t be more important or timely.'' Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read
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*** THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ***

''Destined to be a classic'' Nouriel Roubini

''Brilliant, powerful and hopeful'' Philippa Perry

''Explosive, timely and urgent'' Daily Telegraph

Even before a global pandemic introduced us to terms like social distancing, loneliness was already becoming the defining condition of the twenty-first century.

But it''s also one we have the power to reverse.

Combining a decade of research with first-hand reporting, Noreena Hertz takes us from a ''how to communicate in real life'' class for smartphone-addicted university students to bouncy castles at Belgian far-right gatherings, from paying for cuddles in the U.S. to nursing home residents knitting bonnets for their robot caregivers in Japan.

The Lonely Century explores how our increasing dependence on technology, radical changes to the workplace and decades of policies that have placed self-interest above the collective good are damaging our communities and making us more isolated than ever before.

With bold solutions for us as individuals as well as for businesses and governments, Noreena Hertz offers a hopeful and empowering vision for ow to heal our fractured world and come together again.

''If we could issue a reading list to 10 Downing Street, I''d put this book near the top.'' Guardian

''Causing a deserved stir'' Financial Times

''Revealing, empathetic and timely'' Jonathan Freedland

''Read it, then pass it onto a friend.'' Charlie Brooker

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This book is a crucial call to arms: in the wake of the pandemic, Hertz argues, governments have an opportunity to rebuild along better lines . . . If we could issue a reading list to 10 Downing Street, I''d put this book near the top.
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Explosive stuff. Timely . . . urgent.
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Causing a deserved stir
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An important new book
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For an uplifting and educational read, The Lonely Century is about how we can overcome our divisions to rebuild a society that works as one
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Hertz''s timely study of modern loneliness shows how social media isolates us, our work atomises us, and even street furniture prevents us gathering. The economist delivers an eloquent call to arms: only connect.
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[Noreena Hertz] delivers an eloquent call to arms: only connect.
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In this timely book, economist Hertz explores the loneliness epidemic that was sweeping the world even before the coronavirus took hold. She looks at the ways tech that''s meant to bring us together is driving us apart, the impact isolation is having on our health, and the bizarre ''loneliness economy'' that''s springing up to fulfil the needs of people desperate for human contact, from lifelike sex dolls to a service offering cuddles for cash. The book is a fascinating look at a key societal question: in an age where technology means we''re more connected than ever, why do we feel so alone?
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Revealing, empathetic and couldn''t be more timely
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Fascinating, timely and important. Noreena Hertz zeroes in on one of the central problems of our age. Seeing the problem lurking at the back of your head dragged into the light will actually make you feel a tad less lonely. Read it, then pass it on t