Vortex The Crisis of Patriarchy

In this enlightening yet devastating book, Susan Hawthorne writes with clarity and incisiveness on how patriarchy is wreaking destruction on the planet and on communities. The twin mantras of globalisation and growth expounded by the neoliberalism that has hijacked the planet are revealed in all their shabby deception. Backed by meticulous research, the author shows how so-called advances in technology are, like a Trojan horse, used to mask sinister political agendas that sacrifice the common good for the shallow profiteering of corporations and mega-rich individuals. She details how women, lesbians, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, the poor, refugees, and the very earth itself are being damaged by the crisis of patriarchy that is sucking everyone into its vortex. Importantly, this precise and insightful volume also shows what is needed to get ourselves out of this spiral of destruction: a radical feminist approach with compassion and empathy at its core. The book shows a way out of the vortex: it is now up to the collective imagination and action of people everywhere to take up the challenges. This is a vital book for a world in crisis and should be read by everyone.

Susan Hawthorne is the author/editor of 25 books published in five languages across 20 territories. Her non-fiction books include Bibliodiversity (2014), Wild Politics (2002), and The Spinifex Quiz Book (1993). She has been active in the women's liberation movement since 1973, was involved in Melbourne's Rape Crisis Centre, and performed as an aerialist in two women's circuses. She has taught English to Arabic-speaking women, worked in Aboriginal education and has taught across a number of subject areas in universities. She is Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities at James Cook University, Townsville. Among her awards, she was the winner of the 2017 Penguin Random House Best Achievement in Writing in the Inspire Awards for her work increasing people's awareness of epilepsy and the politics of disability. She has won awards for her contribution to the gay and lesbian community and to publishing.