{"title":"Joel Kotkin","description":"\u003cp\u003eJoel Kotkin’s works offer incisive analysis of contemporary social and political landscapes, exploring the evolving dynamics of urban life and economic structures. His writing delves into the transformation of cities and societies with a keen eye on the challenges and opportunities shaping our future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect thoughtful reflections on themes such as governance, social stratification, and the impact of technological change, presented with clarity and depth. Kotkin’s books serve as valuable resources for those interested in understanding the forces shaping modern politics and education.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-coming-of-neo-feudalism-by-joel-kotkin-9781641770941","title":"The Coming of Neo-Feudalism","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity, we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property, reduced upward mobility, demographic stagnation, and increased dogmatism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf the last seventy years saw a massive expansion of the middle class, not only in America but in much of the developed world, today that class is declining and a new, more hierarchical society is emerging. The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the apex of the new order are two classes—a reborn clerical elite, the \u003cem\u003eclerisy\u003c\/em\u003e, which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks, universities, media, and culture, and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information. These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBelow these two classes lies what was once called the Third Estate. This includes the yeomanry, which is made up largely of small businesspeople, minor property owners, skilled workers, and private-sector oriented professionals. Ascendant for much of modern history, this class is in decline while those below them, the new Serfs, grow in numbers—a vast, expanding property-less population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe trends are mounting, but we can still reverse them—if people understand what is actually occurring and have the capability to oppose them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Coming of Neo-Feudalism\u003c\/em\u003e offers an insightful examination of our current societal shifts and the potential for reversing this trajectory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47432844935404,"sku":"9781641770941","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781641770941.jpg?v=1774766306"},{"product_id":"the-coming-of-neo-feudalism-by-joel-kotkin-9781641772846","title":"The Coming of Neo-Feudalism","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity, we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property, reduced upward mobility, demographic stagnation, and increased dogmatism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf the last seventy years saw a massive expansion of the middle class, not only in America but in much of the developed world, today that class is declining and a new, more hierarchical society is emerging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe new class structure resembles that of Medieval times. At the apex of the new order are two classes—a reborn clerical elite, the \u003cem\u003eclerisy\u003c\/em\u003e, which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks, universities, media and culture, and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information. These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBelow these two classes lies what was once called the Third Estate. This includes the yeomanry, which is made up largely of small businesspeople, minor property owners, skilled workers and private-sector oriented professionals. Ascendant for much of modern history, this class is in decline while those below them, the new Serfs, grow in numbers—a vast, expanding property-less population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe trends are mounting, but we can still reverse them—if people understand what is actually occurring and have the capability to oppose them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47599309684972,"sku":"9781641772846","price":42.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/aaa3487787e8dc94eff4ba9bb7e8737d.jpg?v=1778023952"},{"product_id":"the-human-city-by-joel-kotkin-9781572842168","title":"The Human City","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWe are building cities without thinking about the people who live in them, argues \u003ci\u003eThe Human City\u003c\/i\u003e. It's time to change our approach to one that is centred on human values.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Human City\u003c\/i\u003e, internationally recognised urbanist Joel Kotkin challenges the conventional urban-planning wisdom that favours high-density, \"pack-and-stack\" strategies. By exploring the economic, social, and environmental benefits of decentralised, family-friendly alternatives, Kotkin concludes that while the word \"suburbs\" may be outdated, the concept is certainly not dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAside from those wealthy enough to own spacious urban homes, people forced into high-density development must accept crowded living conditions and limited privacy, thus degrading their quality of life. Dispersion, Kotkin argues, provides a chance to build a more sustainable, \"human-scale\" urban environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter pondering the purpose of a city—and the social, political, economic, and aesthetic characteristics that are associated with urban living—Kotkin explores the problematic realities of today's megacities and the importance of families, neighbourhoods, and local communities, arguing that these considerations must guide the way we shape our urban landscapes. He then makes the case for dispersion and explores communities, such as dynamic small cities and redeveloped urban neighbourhoods, that are already providing viable, decentralised alternatives to ultra-dense urban cores.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Human City\u003c\/i\u003e lays out a vision of urbanism that is both family-friendly and flexible. It describes a future where people, aided by technology, are freed from the constraints of small spaces and impossibly high real estate prices. While Kotkin does not call for low-density development per se, he does advocate for a greater range of options for people to live the way they want at various stages of their lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47599470870764,"sku":"9781572842168","price":50.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/12bd8debca20570e7f28e3c4ecfaad36.jpg?v=1778022472"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/joel-kotkin.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}