Judith Jones Knihy

A follow-up to the author’s influential 1982 bestseller, this work examines the consequences of information technologies and the rise of a post-industrial society. Upon its release in Australia, it garnered global attention, being read by figures such as Deng Xiaoping and Bill Gates, and led to the author becoming the first Australian minister to address a G-7 summit in 1985. Now, Barry Jones, a polymath and former politician, reflects on developments in politics, health, and climate in the digital age, highlighting the vulnerabilities of democracies and public institutions. He identifies climate change as the paramount challenge of our time, criticizing political leaders for their inability to tackle complex, long-term issues. The rise of figures like Trump has undermined critical thinking, while pervasive technologies like smartphones and social media have eroded empathy and community, leaving individuals more isolated. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated varied leadership responses, with some showing courage and others denying reality. In a post-truth world, politicians fabricate facts, and businesses focus on short-term marketing and consumption. This long-awaited work addresses the challenges of modernity and outlines necessary actions to confront them.

Verity Frazier, dissatisfied with her own life, pushes past the point of obsession to prove the existence of a certain female artist in the fifteenth century.