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The Revenge of the Real

Politics for a Post-Pandemic World
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( 237 ratings, 39 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Revenge of the Real by Benjamin Bratton explores how the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a reassessment of technology, politics, and society. It argues for a new political framework that embraces scientific realities and technological advancements in responding to global challenges. The book provides a thought-provoking analysis of how we can restructure societal systems to better cope with future crises.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in exploring how technology and global infrastructure can be reimagined to address real-world challenges. It may appeal to you if you're curious about how digital and physical worlds intersect to shape societal responses, particularly in the context of crises.

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What will the future of Post-Pandemic politics look like?

What will the future of Post-Pandemic politics look like?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Revenge of the Real envisions a new positive biopolitics that recognises that how populations govern themselves is literally a matter of life and death. We are grappling with multiple interconnected dilemmas—climate change, pandemics, the tensions between the individual and society—all of which have to be addressed on a planetary scale. Even when separated, we are still enmeshed. Can the world govern itself differently? If so, what models and philosophies are needed?

Bratton argues that, instead of thinking of technology as something that happens to society, we must see how it can form the basis of a politics of infrastructure, knowledge, and direct intervention. He urges us to reconsider questions of “surveillance” in the face of necessary testing and care. He asks what the “mask wars” revealed about the destructive nature of individualism as the basis of sovereignty?

The book proposes that it is time to transform how we live, work, and thrive. Rethinking governance means rethinking how we interact with each other as a global population, and how we ensure our obligations to each other. For this, we should build a society based in a new rationality of inclusion, care, and foresight.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Revenge of the Real by Benjamin Bratton is praised for its thought-provoking and groundbreaking ideas. The book is recognised for its innovative perspective on technology and globalisation, delivering a fresh vision for the world's structure.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781839762574

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 July 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 159g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Benjamin Bratton is Professor of Visual Arts and Director of the Center for Design and Geopolitics at the University of California, San Diego. He is Program Director of The New Normal programme at Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow. He is also a Professor of Digital Design at The European Graduate School and Visiting Faculty at SCI_Arc. He is the author of the hugely influential The Stack as well as The New Normal and Terraforming.

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