It’s a bit pricey for most people I know, but if you’re in a position to recommend it to a library, faculty, or institution, do so. In addition to chapters by myself and old friend Steven Muhlberger, the contributors are Benjamin Isakhan, Stephen Stockwell, John Keane, Larissa Behrendt, Pauline Keating, Mohamad Abdalla & Halim Rane, Patricia Pires Boulhosa, Luisa Gandolfo, I.Kissa, and P.Fry.
Pre-orders in Canada from Chapters-Indigo online (available April 12)
in the U.S.A from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble (available April 12)
in the U.K. and Europe from Amazon.uk (available February 11)
in Australia from EmporiumBooks.com.au (available March 11)
“The thought-provoking essays gathered in The Secret History of Democracy provide convincing evidence that democratic mechanisms have been invented many times and in many places, including times and places neglected in common accounts. This collection is a sobering reminder that democratic practices have often been succeeded by something else. But one also takes away a sense of the dynamic character of democratic history and the endless diversity of practices with some reasonable claim to embody democratic principles. As growing numbers wonder about what sorts of political institutions make sense in the face of the enormous problems confronting the twenty-first century, this demonstration of the long human history of political creativity gives some reason for hope.”
-John Markoff
“A fascinating, thought-provoking and well-informed survey of little-known “roots of democracy” and “proto-democratic” systems and movements across the globe , from ancient and “primitive” to modern societies. An eye-opener that forces us to differentiate more carefully and to rethink the history of democracy.”
- Kurt Raaflaub
“This exciting book surely enlivens and enriches our debate on democracy and its future by digging afresh oft-forgotten, yet most enlightening democratic experiences found in human history. ”
- Takashi Inoguchi
