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Braver New World : The Countries Daring to Do Things Others Won't - John Kampfner

Braver New World

The Countries Daring to Do Things Others Won't

By: John Kampfner

Paperback | 14 July 2026

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'At a time when politics and government feel so broken in so many parts of the world, this is a dose of optimism amid the gloom; stunning examples of people and places where courage has led to real change for the better.' Alastair Campbell

At a time when democracies seem paralyzed by fear and populations are turning inward, award-winning journalist John Kampfner travels to ten countries confronting our shared challenges with bravery and imagination.

In Japan, he discovers inter-generational care homes ensuring dignity in later life - while Britain ducks the social care question. He visits Vienna's century-old housing projects where 60% of residents live in subsidised accommodation without stigma and communities thrive. Taiwan's health system achieves 90% patient satisfaction at a fraction of the cost of the NHS. From Moroccan solar panels in the Sahara producing enough clean energy to power two million homes to Finnish classrooms preparing children for an uncertain world that Britain's teaching-to-the-test system cannot match - Kampfner introduces us to the people making radical change happen.

These aren't utopias. But what unites them is a refusal to accept that difficult problems are unsolvable. The countries showing true innovation are often those with their backs against the wall - not wealthy nations assuming they have all the answers. Braver New World is an urgent reminder that solutions exist. The question is whether we have the courage to learn.
Industry Reviews
'At a time when politics and government feel so broken in so many parts of the world, this is a dose of optimism amid the gloom; stunning examples of people and places where courage has led to real change for the better.' Alastair Campbell


'Fascinating. The big question of our time is whether mainstream politics can work. John Kampfner believes it can, and shows us many ways that it does.' Daniel Finkelstein

'Liberal democracy is in crisis, and John Kampfner, one of our foremost public intellectuals, has once again forced us to think profoundly about what to do about it... This is solutions-based authorship at its best.' Andrew Roberts

'I hugely enjoyed this - a persuasive and imaginative argument against the gloom of our times'. Bronwen Maddox, Director and CEO, Chatham House.

'Braver New World offers a compelling and compassionate account of practical solutions from around the world... and challenges readers to start learning from those bold enough to act.' Sadiq Khan

'A Kampfner toolkit with smart thinking for our troubled times. This is a how-to book with inspired answers to our urgent questions from Karnataka to Costa Rica to Canada.' Lyse Doucet, author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul

'Ministers and officials - read this book!' Sir Anthony Seldon

'Remarkable... A must-read for anyone interested in how we tackle the problems of education, heath & social care, and homelessness.' Baroness Cathy Ashton

'Economic stagnation and social fracturing are not the irreversible fate of developed economies like the UK. John Kampfner has searched for answers by scouring the world for what works, from Taiwan to Finland to Costa Rica. Read this book as an antidote to fatalism and gloom.' Robert Peston

'A thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful read, full of real ideas that could make Britain a better place.' Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor Channel 4 News, and author of I Brought the War with Me: Stories and Poems from the Front Line

'John Kampfner is a professional pessimist who has conquered his inner demons to find inspiring stories from all over the world... A must-read for Keir Starmer and anyone hoping to take over from him.' The Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt

'This book delivers again and again and again... The fightback for reason, policy and wisdom starts here.' Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

'Seminal in its sweep and bristling with insights, Braver New World is a rallying cry for radical, pragmatic optimism; democratic and institutional courage.' Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious Empire

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