"A rousing trip through the reaches of post-modernism with a splendid psychological guide who manages to combine irony and passion in contemplating the challenges of contemporary identity." - Jerome Bruner, New School for Social Research "Enlightening … a brilliantly argued though disturbing book that offers an intriguing explanation for some of the more maddening and puzzling aspects of contemporary life." - Washington Post Book World "Gergen touches raw nerves, scrutinizing unmoored selves naked to experience in this highly stimulating, mind- expanding original work which dusts away the clichés surrounding that tiresome phrase, 'the postmodern condition.'" - Publishers Weekly Description Today's ever-expanding communications technologies force us to relate to more people and institutions than ever before, challenging the way we view ourselves and our relationships. This powerful and provocative book draws from a wide range of disciplines—from anthropology to psychoanalysis, from film and fiction to literary theory—to explore these profound changes in our understanding of self-identity and their implications for cultural and intellectual life. Biography Kenneth J. Gergen, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at Swarthmore College. He is the author of, among other works, Toward Transformation in Social Knowledge (1982) and, with co-editor John Shotter, Texts of Identity (1989). from the publisher's website |