Early reviews for There We Are Human Again
Jun 29, 2026
A couple of early reviews from Amazon:
Five stars
"I’ve read a fair amount of politics books over my life (I studied it at university for a start) and I remember Carne’s first book, “Independent Diplomat”, as one of the best I’ve ever read. Well this book is also extraordinary: it’s intensely personal, a brave, brave attempt to reconcile the many different facets of his life. Carne was originally a British diplomat, working on the Iraq desk at the UN, and resigned because of the disinformation surrounding the decision to go to war in 2003. He speaks with great honesty about the thrill at being at the centres of power, and at great historical moments, and about his subsequent career… but also about what’s missing from virtually all political discourse, namely love: for Carne (and all of us I think) human connection creates the deepest feelings we can experience. What he then does is to attempt to marry the world of politics and organisation with love and connection itself. It leads him to anarchism, a theory of how small groups, working together with almost no hierarchy, can create a more meaningful, more liveable world.
It’s a brilliantly written book, written with verve and style and deeper levels of honesty than I’ve ever read in a political book. It feels like a gift to the world. I’m still not persuaded by anarchism, but his final chapter, “Declare your utopia”, where he imagines how big things can build simply from a community working together after a flood, did feel inspired. There are good people, all around the world, helping others, in the best ways they know, and this book gives those efforts a context and a theory, forcing us to look at those efforts in a very different way.
It’s a great read from a man who is both political and human, to his fingertips." (RRC)
Second review:
5 stars
"Truly inspiring and thought provoking. This book made me finally realise that I'm not alone in my struggles with modern life, and that the status quo does not need to persist: we have the collective power to change the world. A beautifully written, highly detailed and uniquely cathartic read. I would "strongly recommend!" (Alexandra)
