The Social Edge: The Power of Sympathy Groups for Our Health Wealth and Sustainable Future

Our twenty first century world is facing a series of unprecedented crises. Pandemics of loneliness obesity and diabetes. Spiralling inequality. Financial meltdowns. Environmental destruction.Were obsessed with finding big complicated technological solutions to these modern ills. But what if the solutions lie not in techno fixes but in harnessing the power of one of the oldest and simplest human units - the sympathy group?The sympathy group is the smallest social unit outside the family. People who share a common interest and solve a challenge through facilitated conversation. Working together in sympathy groups is the secret of success in all areas of human endeavour - from agriculture to child-care trade science theatre music the military business and sport.In a radical new argument award-winning scientist Professor Anthony Costello lays out a new science of cooperation based on 20 years studying community participation through womens sympathy groups in Bangladesh India Malawi and Nepal. He shows how tapping the power ingenuity and tenacity of small groups: Has guided the course of human history hidden in plain sight from hunter-gatherer societies to the present day Dramatically improved health and survival of mothers and infants in Asia and Africa
Could re-ignite revolutionary social change in over- individualised societies for our sustainable future Can radically reform the culture of business medicine government and economics. In this fascinating funny and important book Professor Costello dares to suggest twenty two social experiments to underpin solutions. Sympathy groups tackling their own health organisation and environment challenges are not an optional nice extra. They are central profoundly important and ignored. The book explains how science can harness the power of sympathy groups to: Help millions of lonely elderly people.Prevent diabetes mental ill-health and cardiovascular diseaseImprove company productivityTackle antisocial behaviour prison reform and rehabilitationFind local solutions for our climate crisisChange the culture of money to stop another financial crashTake back control by creating a more relational state