David Goodhart Knihy

Many Remainers reported waking up the day after the Brexit vote feeling as if they were living in a foreign country. In fact, they were merely experiencing the same feeling that many British people have felt every day for years. Fifty years ago, people in leafy North London and people in working-class Northern towns could vote for a Labour party that broadly encompassed all of their interests. Today their priorities are poles apart. In this groundbreaking and timely book, Goodhart shows us how people have come to be divided into two camps- the 'Anywheres', who have 'achieved' identities, derived from their careers and education, and 'Somewheres', who get their identity from a sense of place and from the people around them, and who feel a sense of loss due to mass immigration and rapid social change. In a world increasingly divided by Brexit and Trump, Goodhart shows how Anywheres must come to understand and respect Somewhere values to stand a fighting chance against the rise of populism.

The acclaimed and urgent new work from a celebrated author examines the essential roles of care workers, supermarket staff, delivery drivers, and cleaners, whose contributions were highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic. Previously regarded as menial, these positions are now recognized as vital. The author explores why such roles are undervalued, categorizing human aptitudes into three types: Head (cognitive), Hand (manual and craft), and Heart (caring, emotional). While a balanced society requires recognition of all three, recent decades have seen a disproportionate emphasis on cognitive ability, which has become the gold standard of esteem. This cognitive class shapes societal values, prioritizing the knowledge economy and higher education, often sidelining those who excel in manual or caring professions. The narrative traces the cognitive takeover over the past forty years, noting that in the 1970s, most individuals left school without qualifications, whereas now, 40% of jobs require a degree. To foster a good society, it is crucial to re-imagine skilled work, valuing those who work with their hands and hearts alongside those who manipulate data. The text addresses the need to broaden status and provide meaning for individuals who may not thrive in traditional academic or professional settings, highlighting a central struggle for status and dignity in the twenty-first century.