Open Society

Lauded by the New York Times as "brilliant and persuasive", and published in more than thirty-five foreign editions, George Soros's The Crisis of Global Capitalism became an instant classic. A must read for anyone concerned with the complex market forces that rule our global economy and that have thrust us into a state of financial flux and international economic insecurity.

Now Soros takes a whole new look at the arguments he made in that book, incorporating the very latest in global economic and political developments. He shows how the recovery following the economic meltdown of 1998 may have been a false dawn, leaving us in a much more precarious position than we realize. He also explores surprising connections between events like the war in Kosovo and the economic wealth of nations. And he offers new insights into the fates of Russia, Asia, Europe and the United States.

Demonstrating that our still unquestioning faith in market forces blinds us to crucial economic instabilities, Open Society provides an inspiring vision of how to fix the flaws in the system - suggestions that have already influenced leaders at the IMF, the World Bank, and in many national governments.

A respected futurist advances an argument sure to cause debate -- In a wired world, the best way to preserve our freedom will be to give up our privacy

The Government and the Online Community snipe endlessly over privacy issues: encryption software, the Clipper Chip, Web sites recording your interests and purchases, the need for online anonymity. But award-winning author David Brin asks, What's so great about privacy? We could all be much better off in a society where everyone (not just the government, and not just the rich) could look over everyone else's shoulders.

The Transparent Society details the startling argument that privacy, far from being a right, hampers the real foundation of a civil society: accountability. Using examples as disparate as security cameras in Scotland and Gay Pride events in Tucson, Brin argues that openness is far more liberating than secrecy. The biggest threat to our society, he warns, is that surveillance technology will be used by too few people, not by too many.

A highly original interpretation of the history of Western culture that presents a first in-depth analysis of the cultural impact of communication. Explains how the media have helped bring about economic, political, social, and intellectual progress.

Preface Introduction The Role of Intellectuals in Liberal Democracies: Political Influence and Social Involvement by Alain G. Gagnon Case Studies Social Scientists and Politics in Canada by Stephen Brooks and Alain G. Gagnon The Decline of the Left Intellectual in Modern France by George Ross Intellectuals: Producers and consumers of Social Criticism by Paul Hollander Intellectuals and the Construction of Consensus in Post-War England by Alan Swingewood Intellectuals and the Transformation of Political Culture in Post-War Italy by Carl Boggs The Intellectual in Mandarin Country: The West German Case by Hauke Brunkhorst Intellectuals and the Open Society in Israel by Michael Keren Perspectives for Comparative Analysis Intellectuals and Political Elites by S.N. Eisenstadt The Influence of Intellectuals on the Production of culture in France and the United States since World War II by Michele Lamont Jewish Intellectuals in Liberal Democracies by William D. Rubinstein The Political Sociology of Intellectuals: A Critique and a Proposal by Robert J. Brym Bibliography Index About the Contributors