Focusing on the interplay between crisis and critique, this book explores their significance in understanding the fragile state of society. It critiques the normalization of these concepts in modern social theory and advocates for a renewed examination of how they relate to the political and economic structures of modernity. Through this lens, it aims to deepen the discourse on social conditions and the inherent challenges they face.
Has life really changed much since the baby boomers grew older? The millennials accuse them of having had it easy, but is it the case that perhaps they were just willing to work harder to achieve their goals? Older people view younger people as a generation who want instant gratification and success. If this can be gained through television talent contests, whether they be singing, dancing, cooking or even quiz shows, then so much the better; and so long of course that it does not entail too much hard work. It may be unfair to generalise, but perhaps there is an element of truth in this. The author describes how life has changed from the austerity and drabness of the 1950s to the 'sunlit uplands' of the swinging sixties, in Nottingham, Eastbourne and London. A time when everything seemed possible. His meeting and instant captivation with Gill - his future wife - and their subsequent life together as hoteliers and restaurateurs. He gives a descriptive account of a colourful life, people he meets and amusing anecdotes of incidents in both his own hotel and in pubs and inns visited in travels here and abroad. In the final section, the author questions the real reasons for the inherent inequalities in the UK and offers his opinion as to the real culprits.