50 Facts That Should Change the World by Jessica Williams

50 Facts That Should Change the World by Jessica Williams

Jessica Williams revisits her classic series of snapshots of life in the twentyfirst century. Revised and updated with lots of new material, this book is every bit as vital as the first edition. From the inequalities and absurdities of the socalled developed world to the vast scale of suffering wreaked by war, famine, and AIDS in developing countries, it paints a picture of incredible contrasts.

This 2.0 edition again contains an eclectic selection of facts addressing a broad range of global issues, now with added emphasis on climate change, the decline in human rights and democratic freedoms around the world, the unexpected global impact of corporate growth, sports and media madness and inequality, and lots of updated facts and figures. Each is followed by a short essay explaining the story behind the fact, fleshing out the bigger problem lurking behind the numbers. Reallife stories, anecdotes, and case studies help to humanize the figures and make clear the human impact of the bald statistics.

All of the facts remind us that whether we like to think of it or not, the world is interconnected and civilization is a fragile concept. Williams makes us think about some of the hard facts about our civilization, and what we can do about them.

Jessica Williams is a television producer and journalist. She was born in New Zealand and now lives in London, where she works as a producer on the BBC's flagship international interview show, HardTalk with Tim Sebastian, where she has researched and produced interviews with a wide range of people, including political philosopher Noam Chomsky, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Sir David Attenborough, Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble, and the late a former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, David Trimble.