It’s not exactly the Haynes Car manual but a new book out with help from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Dr Kevin Albertson and Professor Chris Fox aims to do just that.
Kevin and Chris joined James Meadway (Chief Economist at the New Economics Foundation) and Ian Rock (a journalist who has authored many Haynes manuals) to write the ultimate Haynes manual: How to Run the Country.
The aim was to cut through the waffle and explain how the machinery of state that governs our lives actually works in a way that would appeal to a wide readership.
Dr Kevin Albertson, reader in economics at MMU’s Business School, said: “It is surprising to see quite how disengaged much of the population is with politics and this certainly seems to stem from a lack of knowledge or interest in many of the key topics that affect our lives.
“Having a good understanding of key issues is essential to create an engaged electorate so we want the book to be picked up by people who have always had an interest in these topics but feel intimidated by their scale and complexity. This book breaks those subjects down and makes them easily understood.”
Prof Chris Fox, Professor of Evaluation in the University’s Department of Sociology, said: “I am passionate about the potential for more evidence-based policies to change peoples’ lives for the better. For me, writing How to Run the Country has been a great opportunity to bring debates about better policy-making to a wider audience.
“My stepdad is into vintage motorbikes so I grew up in a house full of Haynes manuals. As an academic working in a Sociology Department I never thought I would end up writing one! It has been a great experience and I’ve learnt a lot about how to make difficult concepts accessible to a wide audience.”
The book was published this week, and an official launch event will take place on April 21 at the MMU Business School from 5pm.
There, guests will have the chance to hear MMU’s Head of Sociology Gary Pollock, James Meadway and Kevin Albertson explain what running the country is all about before being able to put their questions to the manual writers.
