Stephen Shaw

Stephen Shaw studied biology at Bennington College in the ‘70s and at the University of Oregon in the ‘90s. In between he had a career in the arts. With the publication of The Power Conundrum: Exploring the Puzzle of How to Reclaim a Democracy he shares several decades of investigation into the makeup of society and how best to understand humanity’s many ongoing challenges.

Human society can be analyzed as a system, and systems follow logic which can be dissected and scrutinized. The Power Conundrum takes on this task, tracing the path from individually motivated humans to the outcomes they collectively produce. In the course of this, the book zeros in on patterns and processes that influence the distribution of power in a society and how these factors are decisive in the success or failure of democratic governance.

Stephen lives in Brunswick, Maine, and—when not on the beat following world developments—is busy enjoying nature or making music. He welcomes contact on the issues addressed in this book.