The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence And Arguments Aren't Enough

Description

Once upon a time our society was rich in stories. They united us and helped us to understand the world and ourselves. We called them myths. Today, we have a myth gap. Does that matter? Alex Evans argues powerfully and persuasively that it does. In this time of global crisis and transition - mass migration, inequality, resource scarcity, and climate change - it is only by finding new myths, those that speak to us of renewal and restoration, that we will navigate our way to a better future. It is stories, rather than facts and pie-charts,that have the power to animate us and bring us together in to change the world. Drawing on his first-hand experience as a political adviser within British government and at the United Nations, and examining the history of climate change campaigning and recent contests such as Brexit and the US presidential election, Alex Evans explores: how tomorrow's activists are using narratives for change, how modern stories have been used and abused, where we might find the right myths that will take us from a dark age of uncertainty towards the broad, sunlit uplands that we all seek.

Reviews

"Very short, very sharp" -- Bruce Clark Economist "Pertinent... Evans is an attractive and persuasive writer ... his book will strike many chords'" -- Allan Massie Scotsman "Everyone should read this." Tim Smit "The Myth Gap is a beautiful synthesis of wisdom for the times we're in. Alex Evans melds deep insights from both scholarship and the front lines of social change to provide a perspective that may be essential to human survival. It's a must read for anyone considering how to save the world." Ricken Patel, President & CEO, AVAAZ "Alex Evans gives us a glimpse of what campaigning could deliver if we focussed on binding people together based on shared ideas. It couldn't be a more urgent task and we couldn't have a clearer or more necessary handbook." Kirsty McNeill, director of policy and campaigns, Save the Children

Author description

Alex Evans is a Senior Fellow at New York University's Center on International Cooperation (CIC), with nearly twenty years' experience in climate and development policy. He is currently on secondment to the Business Commission on Sustainable Development as its Research Director. Alex has worked as Special Adviser to two UK Secretaries of State for International Development (Hilary Benn and Valerie Amos), as an expert on climate change in the UN Secretary-General's office, and with think tanks including Chatham House and the Brookings Institution. He has also worked as a consultant on futures and foreign policy for organizations from Oxfam to the US National Intelligence Council. Alex lives in North Yorkshire and is married with two children.