? When the public gets angry, they get loud. Take the TikTok ban in the US — creators flocked to the platform to express their indifference to China having their online data, the main reason the ban was (briefly) implemented in the first place. The Israeli war on Gaza also saw significant public pushback, with Meta users voicing anger that the company’s algorithm was censoring any content that opposed the Israeli narrative. In The Age of Outrage, Oxford University professor Karthik Ramanna dives into the psychology driving these displays of public anger — and what leaders can do to deal with it.

This book is a guide for leaders at a time when public trust in institutions is lacking. Ramanna draws from his experience as an academic, his years working for large organizations, and case studies from companies like IKEA, Nestle, and Disney to explain the anger that marks our social and political scenes.

The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying cause of anger rather than treating it as just another passing crisis. He gives readers a five-step plan that aims at calming public tension during controversial times and encouraging constructive dialogue. Advising leaders against a firefighting approach, Ramanna promotes proactive steps that work on improving the relationship between individuals and organizations.

The advice isn’t just theoretical. Ramanna offers anecdotes about leaders who managed to successfully deal with public anger — giving concrete examples of how to apply his recommended techniques.

You can find this book at Diwan or Amazon.

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