Customer Reviews

Production of Presence: What Meaning Cannot Convey

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed this book a lot...especially when he talks about a "moment of emotional intensity" as being one of the objectives of art...and his distinction between a "presence" culture and "meaning" culture. All great concepts (which I continue to reflect two years after reading). Some of the book seems to be more concerned about his own personal intellectual struggles---i.e. complaints against his fellow humanists in the universities---so once he lays out his arguments, he's moving on to literary criticism and stops developing the key ideas.

I found the book very interesting, a new point of view that questions our cultural worldview and language.
The author knows his field and therefore has lots of academic references and examples. It is sometimes difficult for non- english speakers and for people outside philosophy or epistemology but it is worth reading it, not only for scholars, but also for people who want to know more about emotional experience.

Presence has become a hot topic among communications industry analysts and entrepreneurs. Persons outside of the arts and humanities academia but who aren't afraid to venture onto new ground should also consider reading this book.

For further discussion, see my review at http://www.galbithink.org/gumbrecht.htm