Monoculture: How One Story Is Changing Everything [Paperback]

F. S. Michaels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2011

Winner of the 2011 NCTE George Orwell Award for outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse.

One of The Atlantic's Best Psychology Books of the Year 2011

As human beings, we've always told stories: stories about who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. Now imagine that one of those stories is taking over the others, narrowing our diversity and creating a monoculture. Because of the rise of the economic story, six areas of your world - your work, your relationships with others and the environment, your community, your physical and spiritual health, your education, and your creativity - are changing, or have already changed, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And because how you think shapes how you act, the monoculture isn't just changing your mind - it's changing your life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Michaels] writes in clear, energetic prose that's thoughtful, engaging and unforced. She defines and analyzes without judgment or insistence...a breath of fresh air..." - NPR Ohio

"...a singularly brilliant and accessible analysis of some of the fundamental assumptions and driving principles of our time." - Comment Magazine

"I found myself reading non-stop, underlining like crazy...an astute explanation about what I've been feeling recently, something I couldn't put my finger on..." - NPR Ohio

"If you just read one book this year, read this one." - BuriedInPrint blog

"5 stars: The cause and effect of our world is more surprising than you'd think. With intriguing notions about the driving ideas of stories in every shape of our life, "Monoculture" is an incredibly fascinating way about how the mind works and today's consumer culture." - Midwest Book Review

"A smart and realistic guide to first recognizing the monoculture and the challenges of transcending its limitations." - BrainPickings

"A thin, enrapturing gem. It's accessible, sensible--exactly the sort of book that should have (and still could + should!) take off and create a tiny little dent in books." - Kenyon Review

...a single lucid narrative that's bound to first make you somewhat uncomfortable and insecure, then give you the kind of pause from which you can step back and move forward with more autonomy, authenticity and mindfulness than ever. - BrainPickings

From the Back Cover

As human beings, we've always told stories: stories about who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. Now imagine that one of those stories is taking over the others, narrowing our diversity and creating a monoculture. Because of the rise of the economic story, six areas of your world - your work, your relationships with others and the environment, your community, your physical and spiritual health, your education, and your creativity - are changing, or have already changed, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And because how you think shapes how you act, the monoculture isn't just changing your mind - it's changing your life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Red Clover (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0986853801
• ISBN-13: 978-0986853807
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Winner of the 2011 George Orwell Award for outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse. One of The Atlantic's Top 11 psychology books of 2011. In Monoculture, FS Michaels draws on extensive research and makes surprising connections among disciplines to take a big-picture look at how one story is changing everything. Her research and writing have been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Killam Trusts, and regional and municipal arts councils. Michaels has an MBA, and lives and writes in British Columbia.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended June 1, 2011

By 88ways

Format:Paperback

In "Monoculture," FS Michaels methodically lays out how our societal worldview has been slowly overtaken by a single story - the story of economics. From education and the arts to how we eat, think, and play, Michaels asserts that we have been steeped in a single point of view where value is reduced to what can be sold and worth is determined by financial expediency. Michael's writing is clear and sharp as she brings the impact of this pervasive global philosophy down to the personal level, showing how it affects our lives in the everyday.

Michaels spent years researching this book and it shows. This book is packed full of observations and opinions from a wide range of economists, artists, philosophers and scholars, and Michaels introduces each new section of the book with a concise historical context outlining how things once were, how they developed, and how we arrived where we are. Michaels presents a clear argument without resorting to soapboxing, emotional appeals, or badgering. There is no guilt trip here, just a careful deconstruction of philosophical assumptions that too often go unquestioned. And while it is intellectually satisfying, "Monoculture" is no overbearing academic tome. Michaels' writing is engaging and accessible for readers with a wide range of ability and interest. This is not a pounded pulpit, but a door opening into a discussion that we as a society badly need to have.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Monoculture and narrative for complete idiots - I like it! August 25, 2011

By Buddha Baby

Format:Paperback

This is one of my personal favorites of the books I have read in the last few years, for several reasons. First of all, it is one of those books that helps you to step back and take a good look at your own beliefs and narratives about how the world works and why, jolting you out of your usual thinking and presenting another perspective. Some of these ideas hit home - ideas I was vaguely aware of but unable to articulate, while others are totally new.
The author posits that the market economy is what basically drives every area of our lives. Of course this makes sense; if we can't put food on the table, we won't be around to consider anything else - that is about survival so easily becomes our main narrative. However, this narrative has gone way beyond survival and need into our crazy consumer driven lives. The breadth of this book is another reason for the five stars - the author addresses how this narrative effects most areas of our lives including the music we listen to, the art we come to value, obviously the clothes we wear, our medical care, our religion, our relationships with family members and friends, etc. - much more! I think many of us are aware of these things without realizing the extent to which we have lost choice in many of these areas. For example, it is common knowledge what has happened to the music industry with monopolies such as Sony determining what we listen to, as well as other media corporations determining which version of the news we are offered. I have always found it interesting to watch religions shape themselves in such a way as to receive government aid through non-profit status also. These things and many more are addressed in this book.
Another reason for the five stars: yes there are ideas for solutions presented. We already know many of them and this reading is helping me to stick to my own values more often. For example, I'm putting more effort into supporting local businesses, co-ops, local musicians and artists, etc. The author talks about a parallel narrative, along the lines of "Being the change" we want to see in the world. It is easy when addressing some of these topics to feel overwhelmed and hopeless - not so with this book - it IS helping me to be that change, as small as it may be!

July 9, 2012 - Edited to change to five stars. I had mistakenly clicked on four starts, altho stating five in the body of this review.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book lives up to its ambitious title September 5, 2011

By R. S.

Format:Paperback

It's not often that a book about big ideas so rapidly changes my understanding of the world, but Monoculture maps a general dis-ease I've had for a long time about all sorts of different things (but couldn't quite articulate). Now I can't NOT think about my life from the lens of the economic story. It becomes self-evident.

Monoculture does something important by helping us identify the economic story that drives our era. This story affects all of us in profound ways (and will continue to do so even more, judging from the monetization of our online personas, the substitution of corporate largesse for shrinking public funds, the global spread of GMO crops, increasing pharmaceutical influence in government, and on and on.) We need to know what we are immersed in if we want to choose a different life.

The last part of the book looks at parallel structures - ways that people manage to move out from under the monoculture. I really appreciate F. S. Michaels' clarity regarding the risks one takes choosing to dis-engage from the economic story. However, if I have one disappointment with this book, it's that I felt like I needed much more of this, more examples of people finding their own way with audacity and grit and real-life results. I craved more details, more strategies for overcoming the monoculture. I hope the author writes another book just about this.

Overall, I think Monoculture does a tremendous job of taking some wide-ranging and complex ideas and distilling them in a way that gets to their essence. The writing is clear and jargon-free without oversimplifying things. It is clear that this book is the result of hard thinking, lots of research, and tight editing. Every sentence pulls its weight; there is no extra fat anywhere. F. S. Michaels makes good on supporting the ambitious claim made in the title - not an easy thing to do!