Books on Covid-19

In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, all around the world countries are taking measures that would otherwise only be...

In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, all around the world countries are taking measures that would otherwise only be conceivable at times of war. Unprecedented restrictions on freedom are being decided and implemented. But the current emergency is one thing, the requirements of the Basic Law are another. Is everything permitted with coronavirus? Do our basic rights also have to be quarantined in order to defeat the virus? Not every curtailment of a freedom is also a violation of basic rights. Policymakers must remain balanced, measured and proportionate. A book on the state of the nation that warns against new nationalism and the poison of populism.

The coronavirus crisis has shaken up our way of life. This is by no means the first time this has...

The coronavirus crisis has shaken up our way of life. This is by no means the first time this has happened – and it will certainly won’t be the last. As doctors and medical historians, Fangerau and Labisch discuss pandemics, including Covid-19, in their historical, current and future manifestations, and debate questions such as, whether or not the world has experienced anything like the current pandemic before? How have epidemics changed public and private life? What are the natural, social, historical and cultural contexts of pandemics? What must we prepare for in the future as individuals, and what must society and the health system prepare for, if we want to preserve our way of life?

In times of crisis, political engagement takes off. Today around the world, protest movements such as Black Lives Matter, Fridays...

In times of crisis, political engagement takes off. Today around the world, protest movements such as Black Lives Matter, Fridays for Future and NiUnaMenos are fighting racism, climate catastrophe and violence against women. As different as they may seem, these forces of resistance share a common goal: saving lives. At its core, their struggle is against capitalism, which ruthlessly exploits us and our planet. In the new forms of protest, the philosopher Eva von Redecker sees the beginnings of a revolution for life that could overthrow the destructive capitalist order.

A look at history shows how regularly there have been virus outbreaks that medicine has been unable to counter. And...

A look at history shows how regularly there have been virus outbreaks that medicine has been unable to counter. And never have the conditions for worldwide pandemics been as good as in our globalised, overpopulated world, heated up by climate change. The question is therefore not if another pandemic-of-the-century is coming, but when. Biologist Dr Ina Knobloch provides a fascinating and informed description of how easily a viral outbreak even more deadly than coronavirus could occur, and what the consequences would be for society, the economy and politics.

Solidarity used to be a strong word. It fell into disrepute when everyone was made answerable for their own happiness...

Solidarity used to be a strong word. It fell into disrepute when everyone was made answerable for their own happiness and hardship. Today, society is more deeply divided than ever between rich and poor. Of course, there is a welfare system that balances things out. But we still need to find a new understanding of solidarity. We shouldn’t rest at merely alleviating material needs, but should recognise ourselves in others, and as human beings. Only through such a free decision for common humanity can a society find its way back together. Heinz Bude's reflections on an existence in solidarity provide the answers to the social question of our time.

What does plausibility mean in relation to scenario planning and how do users of scenarios assess it? Despite the concept's...

What does plausibility mean in relation to scenario planning and how do users of scenarios assess it? Despite the concept's ubiquity, its epistemological and empirical foundations remain unexplored in previous research.

Ricarda Schmidt-Scheele offers an interdisciplinary perspective: she presents approaches from philosophy of sciences, cognitive psychology, narrative theory and linguistics, and tests key hypotheses in an experimental study. A conceptual map lays out indicators for scenario plausibility and explains how assessments vary across scenario methods. This helps researchers and practitioners to better understand the implications of their methodological choices in scenario development.

The coronavirus has brought us to a turning point in history. The brilliant and the terrible are now both possible....

The coronavirus has brought us to a turning point in history. The brilliant and the terrible are now both possible. Is the current shutdown of our society also a shutdown of our fundamental rights? Ferdinand von Schirach and Alexander Kluge explore the question of what the coronavirus pandemic means for our social order and our civil liberties. It does not yet seem that our democracy is in danger, but things can tip, authoritarian structures can become entrenched, people can get used to them. Erosion is a slow process, not a sudden event.

Socioeconomic inequality exists not only in the USA, Brazil or South Africa, it is also very pronounced, and still rising,...

Socioeconomic inequality exists not only in the USA, Brazil or South Africa, it is also very pronounced, and still rising, in Germany. It is not limited to the unequal distribution of income and wealth, but extends to almost all areas of life. Christoph Butterwegge looks at its current manifestations, focusing on health alongside education and housing. "Faced with the coronavirus, everyone is equal," many believed. But this is not true of the economy. Redundancies and bankruptcies among smaller companies contrast with the extra profits earned by corporations in crisis-resistant sectors and the enrichment of financial investors.

Our world is at a tipping point, and we can feel it. On the one hand, we are doing better...

Our world is at a tipping point, and we can feel it. On the one hand, we are doing better than ever before; on the other, we see dislocation, destruction and crisis everywhere we look. Whether the environment or society, our systems seem to have come under stress at the same time. We suspect that things will not and cannot stay the way they are. How do we find a way of life that reconciles the well-being of the planet with that of humanity? Where does the path lie between regimes of prohibition and questions of blame, on the one hand, and the mania for growth and technological promises, on the other? Maja Göpel invites us to take a new and very different look at the future.

Did Bill Gates invent the coronavirus to get even richer with the vaccine? Are secret factories torturing kidnapped children to...

Did Bill Gates invent the coronavirus to get even richer with the vaccine? Are secret factories torturing kidnapped children to secure supplies of the coveted adrenochrome? Is it all part of a great Jewish conspiracy to take over the world? The internet and social media are bursting with abstruse speculation. Many people are drifting fearfully into a world of fantasy. Michael Blume analyses the cultural-historical and psychological contexts, asking why such myths exist and how they "work"; he gives advice on how to respond to conspiracy believers, points out the weak points – and predicts the downfall of the QAnon movement around its failing messiah, Donald Trump.

We have been talking for decades about preventing climate change, but greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing. Many people are...

We have been talking for decades about preventing climate change, but greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing. Many people are trying to protect the environment, but there are few successes. Since 2004, a staggering 3.5 trillion dollars has been invested in renewable energy, yet wind and solar systems still provide less than two per cent of the world's primary energy needs. How can this be possible? Klaus Simon provides the answer. He shows the extent to which we have a climate problem, and what options there are for generating energy. Finally, he spans the arc from the climate and the options people have to take action, to society where he examines the crucial context that is so often overlooked in the climate debate.

A hospital emergency room is a place where you experience your limits. This is just as true of those working...

A hospital emergency room is a place where you experience your limits. This is just as true of those working there with the high pressure of responsibility, as it is of the patients, who are torn from their everyday lives when they are admitted to the hospital. Michael Steidl, deputy nursing director of an emergency department, with twenty years of professional experience, opens the door onto this border zone to give us a unique insight. The reason? To give us a portrait of the people fighting the chaos every day. To show the sacrifices this fight demands of them, but also why they take up the fight time after time – especially at a time when a virus is spreading at breakneck speed, stretching healthcare systems to breaking point all around the world.

The coronavirus crisis is having serious economic consequences. How can the welfare state confront new inequalities? What danger do the...

The coronavirus crisis is having serious economic consequences. How can the welfare state confront new inequalities? What danger do the huge debts pose? Will the euro-zone remain stable? What will become of climate protection? And how can we use the opportunities that this crisis also brings? In his seminal book, the first consistently address economic and health policies in unison, Germany's leading economist Clemens Fuest shows us the way out of the crisis.

Viruses, infection, vaccination and immunity are terms that will be with us for a long time to come. It is...

Viruses, infection, vaccination and immunity are terms that will be with us for a long time to come. It is especially important for children to understand why some viruses are harmful, but others are useful. And how these tiny creatures can influence and change our lives. This book explains complex knowledge in a simple way that is easy for children to understand: how they can protect themselves; what happens during a vaccination, and how to find a vaccine; why hygiene is important; who Robert Koch was and what the difference actually is between viruses and bacteria. An indispensable, peer-reviewed book with lots of pictures for children aged 8 and over, for parents and educators.

The undead seem to be taking over our society – "soulless cities", an economic model that destroys a good life...

The undead seem to be taking over our society – "soulless cities", an economic model that destroys a good life rather than enabling it, the return of the monster of fascism. Raul Zelik asks how these developments are connected and how they can be stopped. On this quest, he turns to another phenomenon that just won't die: the socialist idea. Without strengthening common ownership, Zelik argues, it will be impossible to avert either ecological collapse or the impending plunge into authoritarianism. Instead, the multifaceted crisis calls for a grand emancipatory counter-design.

The year is 2048. How do we move around? What do we eat? How do we spend our time? How...

The year is 2048. How do we move around? What do we eat? How do we spend our time? How do we work and what do we do? How can this future be just, ecologically sound and feasible – for everyone? In the face of multiple crises – climate catastrophe, growing inequality, economic crises – people are asking ever more questions about alternative economic and social systems. But what might those systems look like? This book provides possible answers. Based on the results of twelve workshops of the future involving almost 200 pioneers, it develops a vision for 2048 that gives us courage and hope and whets the appetite for the future.