{"product_id":"selfie-9781447283669","title":"Selfie","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Fascinating’ \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Brilliant’ \u003ci\u003eEvening Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Electrifying’ \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘So interesting I literally couldn’t put it down’ \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe are living in an age of heightened individualism. Success is a personal responsibility. Our culture tells us that to succeed is to be slim, rich, happy, extroverted, popular – flawless.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pressure to conform to this ideal has changed who we are. We have become self-obsessed. And our expectation of perfection comes at a cost. Millions are suffering under the torture of this impossible fantasy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was not always like this. To explain how we got here, Will Storr takes us on a journey across continents and centuries. Full of thrilling and unexpected connections between history, psychology, economics, neuroscience and more, \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e is an unforgettable book that makes sense of who we have become.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFar more ambitious than its title might suggest . . . \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e illuminates much of what feels peculiar about the world in 2017 . . . Storr has put in a formidable amount of work, he is irascibly good company, and he has something approaching genius for marshalling his material . . . This could be a pessimistic book. In fact, its insights are timely and welcome -- Richard Godwin * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAs entertaining as it is provocative and disquieting\u003c\/b\u003e . . . His breezy prose is bedded down in intensive research, much of it immersive . . . his closing thoughts can’t help but be comforting * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eStorr has done huge amounts of research for this book . . . he conveys it with a gifted lightness of touch that is wry and funny (his investigative mode has been compared to those of Jon Ronson and Louis Theroux, with which I wouldn’t disagree) . . . \u003cb\u003eentertaining\u003c\/b\u003e . . . \u003cb\u003efascinating\u003c\/b\u003e * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThoughtful \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003eengaging \u003c\/b\u003e. . . \u003cb\u003ewonderfully funny\u003c\/b\u003e . . . Storr’s cultural history is \u003cb\u003efascinating\u003c\/b\u003e * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn ambitious argument\u003c\/b\u003e . . . \u003cb\u003eStorr is an electrifying analyst\u003c\/b\u003e of internet culture, documenting the rise of connectivity in \u003cb\u003eprose that crackles \u003c\/b\u003ewith the energy of the early 21st century . . . an excellent antidote to time-wasting on social media * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eStorr is a magnificent reporter\u003c\/b\u003e in the mould of Jon Ronson or Louis Theroux . . . \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e is profound\u003c\/b\u003e, uncomfortable, joyful, frustrating, fascinating, fragmented, inspired, heartbreaking, and occasionally riven with internal contradictions. Just like a person, really. -- Helen Lewis * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrilliant \u003c\/b\u003e. . . There aren’t many authors who can range so confidently across disciplines and, if you go with the flow, you’ll encounter some \u003cb\u003efascinating \u003c\/b\u003enuggets along the way . . . \u003cb\u003einspiring\u003c\/b\u003e -- Rohan Silva * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis book is IMMENSE\u003c\/b\u003e; like reading an Adam Curtis documentary -- Stuart Heritage\u003cbr\u003e‘\u003cb\u003eCompelling, terrifying and a total must-read\u003c\/b\u003e . . . \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e is a \u003cb\u003efascinating \u003c\/b\u003einvestigation into the intersection of history, psychology, culture and the economy, and how our brains, our egos – and our constructed sense of self – are products of these interconnecting spaces . . . Reading \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e is like seeing links light up on a switchboard. Everything is connected; everything makes sense. Yet the most incredible thing about Storr’s book is how it stays with you long after you've read it . . . In both an equally troubling and comforting way, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e’s insights can’t been unseen\u003c\/b\u003e’ -- Marisa Bate * The Pool *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is \u003cb\u003efascinating\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eilluminating\u003c\/b\u003e, terrifying and reaffirming . . . As a mum of three, it’s \u003cb\u003ea must-read\u003c\/b\u003e -- Davina McCall\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA hellishly good book\u003c\/b\u003e about the new hell: ourselves * Daily Express *\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating, timely exploration of our drive for status, perfection and self-esteem, and a consideration of where such obsessions lead * Esquire *\u003cbr\u003eIt’s easy to look at Instagram and \"selfie-sticks\" and shake our heads at millennial narcissism. But Will Storr takes a longer view. He ignores the easy targets and instead tells the amazing 2,500-year story of how we’ve come to think about our selves. A top-notch journalist, historian, essayist, and sleuth, Storr has written an essential book for understanding, and coping with, the 21st century -- Nathan Hill, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Nix \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSmart, serious and ultimately reassuring * Psychologies *\u003cbr\u003eWill Storr crafts an entertaining history of the self, from Narcissus to Kardashian to Trump * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eA hugely important subject, and a compelling one . . . always entertainingly delivered thanks to Storr’s rich reporting. More than that, by taking a hammer to the sacred idea of the self – by putting culture back in the picture – Storr provides a much-needed corrective to our understanding of who we are. For that reason alone, \u003ci\u003eSelfie \u003c\/i\u003eshould be welcomed. * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eA timely, inspiring book about self-obsession in modern life * Harper’s Bazaar *\u003cbr\u003eA broad-ranging history of the western self, from the age of Aristotle to the age of Instagram . . . Storr builds a convincing case that free will is an illusion, change is impossible and our entire political system is built on a lie. But he’s funny with it -- Richard Godwin * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eA journey that is both personal and political . . . at once hilarious and horrifying . . . it’s dynamite . . . This book should by rights bring down the entire house of cards that is the self-esteem industry * Saturday Paper (Australia) *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e is an entertaining, concise and highly personal examination of the history of the Self.  When did we all become narcissists? And how has it turned us into a society of dissatisfied perfectionists? Combining history, journalistic research and acute personal memoir, Storr brilliantly and candidly explores what may be the most pressing question of our - or any - time. I loved it -- Tim Lott\u003cbr\u003eMoving, wise, compelling and timely, this brilliant and absorbing book investigates the faultline between our oldest human needs and the terrible pressures of technology -- Marcel Theroux\u003cbr\u003eOne of my absolute favourite writers -- Decca Aitkenhead\u003cbr\u003eEminently suitable for readers of both Yuval Noah Harari and Daniel Kahneman, \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e also has shades of Jon Ronson in its subversive humour and investigative spirit . . . \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e, without being remotely fluffy, just might be the ultimate in post-truth comfort reading -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller *\u003cbr\u003eIn this riveting account of how our culture has defined who we feel we should be, from Aristotle to Ayn Rand, Storr charts the rise of our age of perfectionism, and our resulting addictions to selfies and social media. It's profoundly eye-opening, and not a little chastening. Arresting mirrored jacket too . . . * Bookseller *\u003cbr\u003eYou’ll find yourself repeating entire sections of \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e to your friends, and passing them off as your own. -- Amy Grier * Cosmopolitan *\u003cbr\u003eI've come to consider Will Storr the best writer out there in terms of writing about human experience and the concepts and complexities of psychology. I've never seen such a well-thought-through and well-argued piece of work as \u003ci\u003eSelfie\u003c\/i\u003e, really taking ideas around self-esteem back to their philosophical and historical origins - and pulling them all to pieces. I loved it. -- Professor Sophie Scott, Deputy Director, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London\u003cbr\u003eA very well written book. I enjoyed it greatly! -- Professor Danny Dorling, author of \u003ci\u003eA Better Politics: How Government Can Make Us Happier\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStorr starts in Ancient Greece and masterfully pulls us through time, arriving at today's Silicon Valley. And on this journey he asks so many fascinating questions . . . An important, fascinating and mind-expanding read that examines the cultural, societal, psychological and political forces that have led to the Selfie generation. I can't recommend it enough. * The Pool *\u003cbr\u003eThere are some real insights about how stories, social rules, cultural norms and role models affect our attitude to ourselves . . . because he puts it into a long, historical perspective, even nitwits with selfie sticks become a bit more interesting to think about . . . a good read -- Libby Purves * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is no life hack. Rather, in this fascinating psychological and social history, Storr reveals how biology and culture conspire to keep us striving for perfection, and the devastating toll that can take . . . the book takes readers on a long and complicated journey through centuries of religion, literature and economics, but Storr navigates the material with remarkable clarity, frequently recapping and synthesizing -- Sam Eckel * Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003eThe other celebrity podcast I’ve been enjoying is Russell Brand’s Under the Skin . . . He wants Answers with a capital A: the meaning of life, the short cut to spiritual awakening, the revolution that will overthrow the president, the place of economic and political systems within history, how terrorism works and if it can be stopped, ditto religion . . . Not much small talk here. High-profile guests such as Adam Curtis, Naomi Klein, Yanis Varoufakis and Yuval Noah Harari join Brand in trying to unpick humanity’s most tangled knots . . . The latest episode has Will Storr discussing why the selfie is an indication of the narcissistic western approach to individuality, and it’s fascinating. -- Miranda Sawyer * Observer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSection - i: A note on the text Chapter - Book Zero: The Dying Self Chapter - Book One: The Tribal Self Chapter - Book Two: The Perfectible Self Chapter - Book Three: The Bad Self Chapter - Book Four: The Good Self Chapter - Book Five: The Special Self Chapter - Book 6: The Digital Self Chapter - Book Seven: How To Stay Alive in the Age of Perfectionism Acknowledgements - ii: Acknowledgements Section - iii: A note on my methods Section - iv: Notes and references Index - v: Index","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48867105767767,"sku":"9781447283669","price":10.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781447283669.jpg?v=1722281711","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/selfie-9781447283669","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}