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The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations Paperback – May 17, 1991

by Christopher Lasch (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 591 ratings
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Purchase options and add-ons

When The Culture of Narcissism was first published, it was clear that Christopher Lasch had identified something important: what was happening to American society in the wake of the decline of the family over the last century.

The book quickly became a bestseller. This edition includes a new afterword, "The Culture of Narcissism Revisited."
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    May 17, 1991
  5. Dimensions
    5.6 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780393307382
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393307382
  8. Lexile measure
    1470L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lasch took in a remarkable range of contemporary experience, making many observations that, if anything, ring more true today. . . . [Readers] may want to seek solace in Lasch’s illuminations.”
- Lee Siegel, The New York Times

“Never has the case against narcissism been made with such an all-embracing sweep. . . . [Lasch] has brilliantly performed the first job of a social critic by prompting us to look at our reflection―shorn of vanity.”
- Valerie Lloyd, Newsweek

“Brilliantly on target [and] idiosyncratically compelling.”
- Alan Wolfe, New Republic

“This is the big intellectual book of the season, the one for everyone to feel guilty about not reading.”
- Henry Allen, Washington Post

“Formidable intellectual grasp and the kind of moral conviction rarely found in contemporary, value-neutral history and sociology. . . . Lasch is on to something quite real.”
- Time

“His vigorous appraisal of contemporary American life is to be admired as much for the perspicacity of his observations as for the contancy of this argument and the scope of his supporting references. . . . Few write with his penetration, intelligence, and historical expertise.”
- Kirkus Reviews

“Christopher Lasch has gone to the heart of our culture. The insights into personality and its social context are stunning. This is a courageous, important book.”
- Michael Rogin, University of California, Berkeley

“Cultural history at its best. . . . Provokes, startles, and keeps the reader arguing with himself as well as with the writer. . . . A book of fundamental importance.”
- Bruce Mazlish, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

About the Author

Christopher Lasch (1932–1994), professor of history at the University of Rochester, wrote, among many other works, The True and Only Heaven: Progress and Its Critics and the best-selling Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0393307387
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Revised edition (May 17, 1991)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780393307382
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393307382
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1470L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 591 ratings

About the author

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Christopher Lasch

Christopher Lasch

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
591 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, useful, and relevant. They describe it as a great, brilliant, and excellent work.

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InsightReadabilityWriting quality
22 customers mention "Insight"16 positive6 negative

Customers find the book insightful, useful, and relevant. They say it provides an excellent exposition of today's problem. Readers also describe the book as informative, interesting, and compelling.

"written in the 70's but very relevant and predicted our divisions" Read more

"...this was a persuasive, interesting, and compelling union of cultural and individual analysis, centered on the psychoanalytic concept of narcissism..." Read more

"...a transcription of a series of the author's lectures and comes across as a bit pedantic...." Read more

"Great book. Probably one of the best examinations of modern western culture ever written...." Read more

20 customers mention "Readability"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book brilliant, excellent, and insightful. They say it's very thought-provoking.

"I found this book very throught-provoking, in the boldness and bleakness of its basic thesis (that narcissism is really about fear..." Read more

"Great book. Probably one of the best examinations of modern western culture ever written...." Read more

"...the doctrine of "competitive individualism" will find this book a worthy read and perhaps challenge those of a liberal mind set." Read more

"On my top shelf of favorite, insightful non-fiction, as relevant today with a broad-stroke as then...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written, literate, and persuasive. They also mention that the book is crisp and stiff without any markings.

"...(as one might expect from a book published in 1979), but the writing is very polished and thoughtfully provocative...." Read more

"...stiff, pages have yellowed a bit (print date is 1979) with age but are crisp and stiff with no marking or stains...." Read more

"Great writer, great analysis of the current age and culture." Read more

Good book, skip the foreword
5 out of 5 stars
Good book, skip the foreword
Great book. Probably one of the best examinations of modern western culture ever written.My only complaint isn't with the original book, which was written in 1979, but the forward written by Eugene Dionne Jr, in this 2018 reprint. The foreword is basically just a political rant. I've posted two passages on narcissism, one written by Eugene, and the other by Lasch. Judge for yourself how absolutely boring Eugene's political rant is compared to Lasch's commentary. Judge for yourself. My advice: skip the foreword and enjoy the rest of the book.
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Top reviews from the United States

Mikers
5.0 out of 5 stars great read and relevant today
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2024
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written in the 70's but very relevant and predicted our divisions
2 people found this helpful
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Stephen Armstrong
5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written, literate, persuasive cultural analysis...
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2005
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I found this book very throught-provoking, in the boldness and bleakness of its basic thesis (that narcissism is really about fear [and is not simply about vanity]; and that America is a culture that suffers from [and promotes] fear [of nothingness, of "no exit"]). Due to this narcissistic fear, Lasch believes that Americans lack a purpose, an "end-point," and that this anomie, coupled with gross cultural overloads (the failure of the family, the intrusion of the state into the family, the substitution of state paternalism for individual self-initiative, the erosion of authority, the "therapeutic culture," and so forth) gives rise to "the spectacle" designed to distract America from the fear of being nothing and its inner rage (whew! that was a sentence!).

It takes some effort to grasp Lasch's thesis, and I found some of the commentary dated (as one might expect from a book published in 1979), but the writing is very polished and thoughtfully provocative.

All of the "problems" I encountered with the book were those of trying to understand, think through, "test" and consider Lasch's ideas--which, to me, are all marks a good book. I can find fault with specifics in Lasch's ideas, but overall, this was a persuasive, interesting, and compelling union of cultural and individual analysis, centered on the psychoanalytic concept of narcissism and America's unique history. Specific topics included: (a) "making it" in America; (b) pseudo self-awareness and the spectacle of politics and celebrity; (c) the degradation of sport; (d) the commoditization of education and its focus on "life adjustment;" (e) socialization of reproduction and the collapse of authority; (f) the flight from ("true") feeling embodied in a culture of promiscuity and sexual warfare (perhaps his least balanced chapter); (g) the "planned obsolescence" of older persons; and (h) the link between our bureaucratic culture and narcissistic dependence on it.

The overall tone of the book reminded me of Joan Didion's novels and Yates' poem Slouching Toward Bethlehem--fear and anxiety about nothing within, nothing without, simply our neediness. Lasch's book also reminded me of another psychoanalytically informed cultural critique from the 1950s, Norman Brown's Love's Body.
233 people found this helpful
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Jeff
4.0 out of 5 stars A scholarly treatise on narcissism - not for the causal reader
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024
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The text reads like a transcription of a series of the author's lectures and comes across as a bit pedantic. Reading this like one read their college sociology text books is a better approach. This provides a better flow and time to search anything unfamiliar (and there is a lot of it, unless the reader is a degreed clinical psychologist).
2 people found this helpful
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Mike
5.0 out of 5 stars Delivered on time in promised condition
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
The book was sold as “used”. It’s a hardback with a cover. The cover shows some wear and had a small tear. The book itself was in great condition. The spine is still stiff, pages have yellowed a bit (print date is 1979) with age but are crisp and stiff with no marking or stains. The cover is still a deep dyed black. The book appears as if it has been handled but appears as if it has never been read. Or, at most it was read once and shelved. Truly a great value for the price.

As far as the content of the book, you probably already know. I have not read it yet but have heard it cited for years from various thinkers.
One person found this helpful
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Jae
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, skip the foreword
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
Great book. Probably one of the best examinations of modern western culture ever written.

My only complaint isn't with the original book, which was written in 1979, but the forward written by Eugene Dionne Jr, in this 2018 reprint. The foreword is basically just a political rant. I've posted two passages on narcissism, one written by Eugene, and the other by Lasch. Judge for yourself how absolutely boring Eugene's political rant is compared to Lasch's commentary. Judge for yourself. My advice: skip the foreword and enjoy the rest of the book.
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Jae
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, skip the foreword
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2019
Great book. Probably one of the best examinations of modern western culture ever written.

My only complaint isn't with the original book, which was written in 1979, but the forward written by Eugene Dionne Jr, in this 2018 reprint. The foreword is basically just a political rant. I've posted two passages on narcissism, one written by Eugene, and the other by Lasch. Judge for yourself how absolutely boring Eugene's political rant is compared to Lasch's commentary. Judge for yourself. My advice: skip the foreword and enjoy the rest of the book.
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141 people found this helpful
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Ruth Rosamond
5.0 out of 5 stars review amended!
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2013
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I read about 6 months or so after purchase. It was a different take on narcissism and I found it revealing, in particular because the author took a view on narcissism that is different from the prevalent view today. The pressures on individuals an d families have increased to splintering point and Chris Nasch has pointed out how detrimental this has been to society in the long term. I have since lent this book to two other friends, one of whom has praised the author, the other has it on her bedside pile of books to read. This is my amended review now I've actually read it. Ruth Rosamond
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Paulo Victor
5.0 out of 5 stars Lasch, the prophet
Reviewed in Brazil on August 19, 2021
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This book could have been written and published yesterday, such is its timeliness. The author, in fact, foresaw many of the problems that currently afflict contemporary society. Strongly recommended reading.
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Luis
5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless insight and brilliance
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2019
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Just a purely brilliant insight into our self-absorption. If you're buying this book, you probably already understand how a nation of narcissists can be toxic. Lasch just articulates it so well. Worth reading -- for generations to come.
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Justine
5.0 out of 5 stars Justine Tally
Reviewed in Spain on August 21, 2017
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Excellent and unfortunately still pertinent. Narcissism is on display consistently these days and Lasch brodens out understanding of how we got here.
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The Amazonian
5.0 out of 5 stars Filled with genuine social, political, cultural, and psychological insights
Reviewed in Australia on September 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
Notwithstanding any of its faults, this book provides an intelligent basis for the understanding of our own lives and times while reverberating an even more relevant clarion call across the ages since its original publication in 1979,

Very reasonable quality publication at this price, but make sure you've had your reading glasses prescription updated before embarking on this volume. The font size will test any eyesight.

100% recommendation on content!
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EmWill
5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant writing, excellent ideas, a classic.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2017
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An excellent analysis of contemporary society, Lasch writes elegantly and transparently but not simply. A challenging read but it's a great work-out for the left hemisphere.
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