General non-fiction
We publish serious non-fiction social commentary and debate for a wide audience. These high quality books are written by academics, professionals and other experts in an accessible way bringing key issues of social, political and cultural significance to a wide readership. These books have an impact: advancing knowledge, raising awareness and encouraging social change.
'Sleepwalking to segregation'?
Challenging myths about race and migration
This book explores contemporary claims about race and migration, combining an overview of the subject with new research. The authors argue that the myths of race and migration are the real threat to an integrated society and propose that diversity and mobility are expected and benign.
Slow Computing
Why We Need Balanced Digital Lives
Is it possible to experience the joy and benefits of computing in a way that asserts individual and collective autonomy?
Drawing on the ideas of the ‘slow movement’, Slow Computing sets out numerous practical and political means to take back control and counter the more pernicious effects of living digital lives.
Snobbery
Snobbery matters because it is the way in which social divisions are built. In these times of growing social inequality, snobbery is becoming ever more pertinent. This book draws on literature, popular culture and autobiography as well as sociology and history to take a fresh and engaging look at this key social and cultural issue.
Social Innovation
How Societies Find the Power to Change
Geoff Mulgan, a pioneer in the global field of social innovation, explains how it provides answers to today’s global social, economic and sustainability issues. He argues for matching R&D in technology and science with a socially focused R&D and harnessing creative imagination on a larger scale than ever before.
Social work
The rise and fall of a profession?
This book charts social work's development over the last 150 years, calling for a progressive, radical/critical practice based on social justice and social change.
The Soul of a University
Why Excellence is not Enough
How can we re-establish universities’ social purpose? The solution lies with asking not only ‘what are we good at?’, but also ‘what are we good for?’. Chris Brink shows how universities can – and should - promote positive social change.
Stinking Rich
The Four Myths of the Good Billionaire
How does the billionaire class get away with sequestering the world’s wealth while others languish in poverty and hunger? This incisive book examines myths that portray billionaires as a ‘force for good’ and concrete actions to support economic justice and democratic equality.
The Story of Baby P
Setting the Record Straight
This book is the first to tell what happened to 'Baby P', how the story was told by the media and its considerable impact on the child protection system in England. It makes a crucial contribution to the topic.
Substance Not Spin
An Insider's View of Success and Failure in Government
Based on his personal experience at the heart of government and the voluntary sector, Nick Raynsford, a former MP, Minister and campaigner, explores making and implementing policy and legislation. He gives an ‘insider’s view’ on a range of events, some not previously made public, making a fascinating bridge across the policy and practice divide.
Taking Power Back
Putting People in Charge of Politics
This important book asks where should power and governance lie in our democracy? Simon Parker, a leading expert on public services and government, claims the answer is to give power away. He offers policy recommendations and practical ideas for creating a new kind of politics focused on unleashing society's creative potential.
This Separated Isle
Invisible Britain
This Separated Isle explores how concepts of ‘Britishness’ reveal an inclusive range of understandings about our national character. Featuring a diverse range of photographic portraits and narrative stories from across the UK, this landmark book examines the relationship between identity and nationhood, revealing the ties that bind us together.
Too Much Stuff
Capitalism in Crisis
We now enjoy the highest living standard in history yet spend more of our income on pointless luxury. Instead, we should tax more in order to invest much more in societal needs, which will in turn reinvigorate the economy and reduce economic inequality and environmental degradation.