The Badness of King George

Sep 22, 2024 7:29 AM

Author:Judith Summers

Judith Summers' life is about to change dramatically.

Her five-year relationship with her on-off boyfriend has finally ended. Her son, Joshua, is off to university, and for the first time since her husband died she's living alone. Well, not entirely alone. She still has George, her King Charles Spaniel.

Judith knows she needs a new challenge. But how free can she ever be with George in tow? He is, of course, immensely lovely. But he's also spoilt, lazy, and prone to flouncing around the house like a fluffed-up diva.

But then, during a chance encounter , Judith finds out about Many Tears, a dog rescue centre. Before she knows it, she has joined a nationwide network of canine foster carers. Far from having Judith all to himself, George suddenly finds he has to share his owner with lots of other less fortunate dogs. And he's finding adjusting to this new way of life a bit of a challenge...

Reviews

With his usual clarity and dash Fred Pearce brings us the best news we've heard in 10,000 years - that the human population should soon level out, at a number that should be quite manageable; and some of the problems that may seem so dire in truth are assets - including the rise in average age and the increase in migration. This isn't wishful thinking - it's hard science. And it changes everything.

—— Colin Tudge

Peoplequake is a debate-shaping book. Sobre, fascinating, it redraws the boundaries of the population debate. Pearce points out that the Earth could adequately meet the needs of a bigger population, but only once natural resources are shared more equally and managed using ecological
principles. The population bomb would defuse itself even quicker if we tackled over-consumption by the rich instead of fretting about the poor having children. This brilliant book's insights could save many lives and stop many more from suffering.

—— Andrew Simms, Policy Director at the New Economics Forum

What a wonderfully rich and humane book! As a generation of newly-empowered women sweeps away our wrongheaded Malthusian nightmare, Fred Pearce demonstrates persuasively that the end of the population surge may well usher in a new era of ethnic tolerance, increased global integration and a period of kinder and more nurturing governance.

—— Ross Gelbspan, author of THE HEAT IS ON and BOILING POINT

Fearless and well-informed; every paragraph crackles. Pearce evokes past and present with vivid detail and startlingly coherent insight.

—— Jesse H. Ausubel, Director of the Program for the Human Environment and Senior Research Associate at The Rockefeller University

This is a well written and important book ... we highly recommend (Fred Pearce's) book - everyone should be grateful that he wrote it

—— New Scientist

Super-optimistic ... Even those who disagree should welcome this articulate contribution to a much needed debate.

—— Clive Cookson , Financial Times

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