'...thought provoking, profound and based on sound research. It is well crafted and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in, among other things, helping to shape the future for those people throughout the world who are not empowered to do it for themselves.' - Tony Gould, Industrial Relations '...the book is precise, up-to-date and well-informed: it offers a comprehensive state of the art of contemporary social theory.' - Enzo Mingione, Urban Studies