Book details

244 Pages
Publication date: November 2016
Imprint: Benevento
Klaus Werner-Lobo

Free And Dangerous

The Power of Playing the Fool

In his new book, the star author of the alternative globalisation movement, Klaus Werner-Lobo, demonstrates how people can free themselves from internal and external constraints, make true connections with others, act confidently and stand up for what they believe in. In his view, fools, jesters and clowns are most adept at achieving this because they accept their own weaknesses and vulnerability. Which is why the former politician himself became a clown.

In Free And Dangerous, the popular non-fiction writer explains exactly what makes fools so powerful: they make people laugh, but also reflect every facet of human emotion because they have no fear of failure, know no shame and do not adhere to convention.

From court jesters to Charlie Chaplin, throughout the ages clown figures in every culture have used this license to hold a mirror up to society, break down power structures and question dogma. Klaus Werner-Lobo follows in this tradition. Under the tutelage of the world’s best known clowns, he has confronted his own ridiculousness, acted the fool in the world of politics and found himself with the help of rituals practiced by »sacred« indigenous clowns. He no longer fears anything – and fearing nothing is what makes someone dangerous.

 


»Laughter is the best way to free ourselves and resist repression.«
Klaus Werner-Lobo


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Author

Klaus Werner-Lobo

Born in 1967 in Salzburg, Klaus Werner-Lobo is a professional author, actor and activist based in Vienna. He has been a member of the Viennese provincial parliament, studied with internationally renowned clowns such as Leo Bassi, Jango Edwards, Philippe Gaulier and Sue Morrison, and taken part in the Hotxuá »sacred clown« rituals of the Krahô indigenous people in Brazil.

Spiegel Online places him alongside Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein and Jean Ziegler as one of the leading thinkers of the alternative globalisation movement.