Customer Reviews

The Saturated Self: Dilemmas Of Identity In Contemporary Life

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While many books on post-modernism obfuscate themselves in philosophical mumbo jumbo and self-referential exercises, this is a very straightforward introduction to the post-modern condition. It is also a great introduction to social construction, and the idea meaning (including the meaning of our selves) is a socially created truth rather than an absolute. Unlike a lot of books by academics, Gergen has crafeted a very readable book, that I not only learned from but enjoyed immensly.

I found this book very interesting to read. I did not find it disturbing or brilliant. Anyone who uses the internet, watches television and videos and has been jet lagged from global travel will find this an accurate account of contemporary post-modern man's global lifestyle It has the same fun reading style and spirit as T.Friedman's "The Lexus and The Olive Tree" but with a psychosocial take rather than an economic social view. This work is not grounded in biological science and the generalizations he does make from quantum science are skewed though standard post-modern mantra as far as I know. Scientists may not relate to nature or reality directly as he argues but they do relate to mathematical inferences about nature that allow them to predict with a high degree accuracy how nature works. Otherise I wouldnt' be writing this on the computer. But then Gergen himself says that the book may be just fiction or invention not a building of ideas on top of ideas. Readers interested in the topic of self-consciousness could balance Gergen's argument with A. Damasio's "The Feeling of What Happens" and G. Edelman's "Bright Air and Brilliant Fire".Both of these works attempt to ground consciousness in the body.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the forces shaping the concept of "self" in our post-modern society (or for anyone who thinks that he or she is above being shaped!) It is easy to read, very enlightening, and very well documented. I highly recommend it!

This book is, simply put, an incredible accomplishment which deserves more 5-star reviews. The book is relevant to anyone's life, as it is addressing widespread social phenomena brought on by the internet, air travel, and other technologies that are basically taking the obstacles of space and time and reducing them mere hurdles.

To me, the book treads between sociology and philosophy, as the author creates new terms to explain his ideas. It can be a bit disturbing reading about our society on the path to a "multiphrenic" consciousness, while later on it is pleasant to be reminded of some of the benefits of contemporary life. Gergen often dips back into the how things were in the "face to face" community of the romantic era, or during the times of machine obsessed modernity, for comparisons. As a result, this book teaches you not just about the current state of society, but about where it's been, where it is, and most importantly where it may be headed.

Before I read this book, I only knew "postmodern" as a term to describe anything contemporary. Now I know what it actually is and what causes it. It gives you plenty of things to wonder about and discuss with friends who are also interested. A college student in any related field of study will find this book a handy source for a paper on just about any topic. The first edition was written almost 20 years ago, and it's still very relevant, and will be for a long time.

Reviewer: LUIS MENDEZ (luismendez@codetel.net.do) from DOMINICAN REPUBLIC este libro es fantastico, nos descubre, nos indaga, nos hace curiosos y participes de las cosas de nuestro yo, que se encuentra atiborrado de cosa, de pensamientos, de acciones, de traumas, espero que lo lean y que lo disfruten tanto como lo he disfrutado yo. LUIS MENDEZ crazzyteacher@hotmail.com

Ken Gergen does an amazing job of painting the picture of fragmented contemporary in this well-written and compelling book. A definite must read for anyone interested in social psychology or technology and postmodern culture.

Kenneth Gergen's approach to postmodern theory is one-sided and disorganized. Through a series of unrelated examples of daily life (and occasional references to the development of this new thing called "electronic mail"), Gergen succeeds in sounding exactly like a grumpy old man down the street, waving his cane at those darn kids who step on his lawn. Much of his criticism of modern life seems to stem from the fact that it is unfamiliar to him, rather than inherently flawed. For young readers and those accustomed to the presence of technology in everyday life, most of what Gergen writes will fall flat -- unless, of course, the reader is an angsty teen trying to understand why it is they hate their life so much.

este libro es fantastico, nos descubre, nos indaga, nois hace curioso y participe de las cosas de nuestro yo, que se encuentra atiborrado de cosa, de pensamientos, de acciones, de traumas, espero que lo lean y que lo disfruten tanto como lo he disfrutado yo.

LUIS MENDEZ

This is a very exciting and important book. Read it! "Social saturation" is a concept that needs to be looked at. "And it's okayyy."