By Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
Why More Equal Societies Always Do Better

During the 1930s depression, it was noted that, on average, Public School pupils were several inches taller than those from state schools. The obvious inference was that their better economic situation was the cause. It was not clear, however, that most of society's ills stem from this gross inequality. This has been shown by these two internationally recognised social and medical scientists. As their conclusions are based on what they call more than fifty person-years of intense and detailed research (i.e. nearly thirty years each), those conclusions would be difficult to refute – unless of course the doubters were prepared to match their efforts.

by Angela Gluck Wood
Confusion, conflict and complexity

Teaching is not just telling. Education, properly understood, involves a process of guided development in every possible direction. The educated person wants to know and doesn’t assume that they know it all already. In short, to have an enquiring mind. Simply feeding children with “facts”, often slanted with the feeder’s opinions, which was thought sufficient in Victorian times, is the opposite of what is required. Sadly, it is still practised today in some quarters.

On the other hand, if young people are allowed to develop without some guidance, they will be subjected to received wisdom fed to them daily by millions of pounds worth of advertising, media distortions and “It is well known that…”. That is why trained adults must intervene to encourage them to try and work things out for themselves. A little bit of iconoclasm works wonders.

By Chris Smith. Illustrations by Aurelia Fronty

A picture book for children – of all ages from 8 to 80. It’s a moral tale but not a dull lecture.

Solomon the Wise, king of Israel, has a story to tell. The moral it contains is not shouted at you and needs no laboured explanation. Two brothers have brought their problem to the great adviser – for advice.

But before he can respond, they start a noisy quarrel about who should inherit the land left behind by their late father. One, probably the elder, claims his “legal rights”. The other protests loudly at this “injustice”.

The wise one silences them, holds their attention and tells them this story that has been handed down by word of mouth for centuries.

By Kate Evans

Everything you didn’t want to know about climate change but probably should find out.

When a book on climate change, consisting mainly of cartoons, is praised by George Monbiot for the power of its message and its author lauded by Steve Bell as “one of the most original talents in comics”, it must have something going for it.

By Olivia Ball and Paul Gready
Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

What are rights? The American colonists, who framed their Declaration of Independence in the 18th Century, had no doubts. “Man is born free and has equal rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Sounds fine. Who could object? But, like many another simple declarations, it gives rise to many questions. One is obvious when one starts to look at the practicalities. What if your rights clash with somebody else’s?