Nervous States is a persuasive and essential guide towards the turbulent times we are living through.

Why has politics become so fractious and warlike? What caused the populist political upheavals of modern times? How can the annals of ideas help us understand our present? In this strong and far-reaching exploration of our fresh political landscaping, William Davies reveals how feelings attended to reshape our world. Sketching deep on background, philosophy, psychology and economics, he shows how some of the fundamental assumptions that described today’s world possess dissolved. With advances in science and medication, the department between body and mind is no more so clear-cut. The spread of digital and military technology has still left us nearly at battle nor exactly at serenity. In the murky brand-new space between body and mind, between war and peace, lie nervous expresses: with most of us relying more and more on feeling rather than fact.

“An absorbing reserve fizzing with tips.” OBSERVER