A passionate advocate of democracy’s power, Benjamin Barber explored bold solutions for dysfunctional systems and political paralysis. In his 2013 book If Mayors Ruled the World, he showed how decentralized local governments can be more flexible -- and more in tune with their constituents -- than their federal counterparts. The book led to the foundation of the Global Parliament of Mayors, a governance body of, by and for mayors from all continents. It builds on the experience, expertise and leadership of mayors in tackling local challenges resulting from global problems.

Barber burst into the media spotlight on September 11, 2001, when his book Jihad Vs. McWorld, published several years earlier, assumed new relevance. With his prophetic analysis of the emerging collision of tribalism and globalism, Barber established the parameters for 21st-century political debate.

His newest book is Cool Cities: Urban Sovereignty and the Fix for Global Warming.