The Social Edge

Our twenty first century world is facing a series of unprecedented crises. Pandemics of loneliness, obesity and diabetes. Spiralling inequality. Financial meltdowns. Environmental destruction.


We’re obsessed with finding big, complicated, technological solutions to these modern ills. But what if the solutions lie not in techno fixes, but in harnessing the power of one of the oldest and simplest human units – the sympathy group?

The sympathy group is the smallest social unit outside the family. People who share a common interest and solve a challenge through facilitated conversation. Working together in sympathy groups is the secret of success in all areas of human endeavour - from agriculture to child-care, trade, science, theatre, music, the military, business and sport.


In a radical new argument, award-winning scientist Professor Anthony Costello lays out a new science of cooperation based on 20 years studying community participation through women’s sympathy groups in Bangladesh, India, Malawi and Nepal. He shows how tapping the power, ingenuity and tenacity of small groups: 

• Has guided the course of human history, hidden in plain sight, from hunter-gatherer societies to the present day, 

• Dramatically improved health and survival of mothers and infants in Asia and Africa,

• Could re-ignite revolutionary social change in over- individualised societies for our sustainable future, 

• Can radically reform the culture of business, medicine, government and economics. 


In this fascinating, funny and important book, Professor Costello dares to suggest twenty two social experiments to underpin solutions, and lays out ideas to help managers and decision-makers create an ecology for success.  Sympathy groups tackling their own health, organisation and environment challenges are not an optional, ‘nice’ extra. They are central, profoundly important, and ignored. 

The book explores how science can harness the power of sympathy groups to:

• Help millions of lonely elderly people.
• Prevent diabetes, mental health and cardiovascular disease
• Improve company productivity 
• Tackle antisocial behaviour, prison reform and rehabilitation
• Find local solutions for our climate crisis
• Change the culture of money to stop another financial crash
• ‘Take back control’ through creation of a more relational state