What on Earth is Going On?: A Crash Course in Current Affairs. Arthur House

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What on Earth is Going On?: A Crash Course in Current Affairs - Arthur House

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      TOM BAIRD

      and ARTHUR HOUSE

       What on Earth is Going On?

      A Crash Course in Current Affairs

      

       INTRODUCTION

      We wrote this book with a shared conviction that a) most people’s knowledge of current affairs is a lot worse than they would like to admit, b) it wouldn’t hurt to start filling in the gaps, and c) while many of these issues are dauntingly complex, they would never-theless benefit from a clear and concise introduction.

      Keeping up with the news is an interminably tall order. The media deluge us with so much content each day that by the time we’ve digested the headlines, a new day arrives and we have to start all over again. It’s not surprising that many of us choose to stick our heads in the sand and avoid it completely.

      But that’s not the only alternative. The media would have us believe that events of earth-shattering importance happen every single day and that only by remaining glued to the 24-hour news cycle can we have any hope of keeping ourselves informed. Of course this isn’t true. Just as important as keeping up-to-date is understanding the root causes behind issues, and gaining some perspective on how they have developed over time.

      Our hope is that What on Earth is Going On? will help achieve this. It is a book for the bedside table, the morning commute or the downstairs loo, where it can be consulted by the confused dinner party guest who has taken refuge from the conversation next door. We hope that they will rejoin the table having flushed away some of their ignorance, and feeling all the better for it.

      TOM BAIRD and ARTHUR HOUSE, August 2009

      Table of Contents

       Cover Page

       Title Page

       Darfur

       Devolution

       Energy

       EU

       Euthanasia

       Fairtrade

       Free Trade

       G8/G20

       Georgia

       GM Food

       Hedge Funds

       Hezbollah

       Human Rights

       Immigration

       Iran

       Iraq

       Islam

       Israel/Palestine

       IVF

       Kashmir

       Kosovo

       Microfinance

       MRSA

       NATO

       Neuroscience

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