Description
Book SynopsisEnough about me, goes the old joke, what about you? What do you think about me? Hence the pursuit of attention is alive and well. Even the Oxford English Dictionary reveals a modern coinage to reflect the chase in our technological age: ''ego-surfing'' - searching the Internet for occurrences of your own name. What is the cause of this obsessive need for others'' recognition? This useful and popular volume, now in a second edition that features major new introductory and concluding essays, entertainingly ponders this question. Derber argues that there is a general lack of social support in today''s America, one which causes people to vie hungrily for attention, and he shows how individuals will often employ numerous techniques to turn the course of a conversation towards themselves. Illustrating this ''conversational narcissism'' with sample dialogues that will seem disturbingly familiar to all readers, this book analyses the pursuit of attention in conversation - as well as in politic
Trade Review"A refreshingly balanced, strongly grounded exploration of the routines Americans exploit in competing for attention...."--American Journal of Sociology (on the previous edition) "A refreshingly balanced, strongly grounded exploration of the routines Americans exploit in competing for attention...."--American Journal of Sociology (on the previous edition) "Competition and individualism in America are fresh topics in his hands and he works out a theory which I think is of great interest."--Richard Sennett (on the previous edition) "Derber is on to something important, and I like what he says--it makes much sense. The subject serves the kind of attention (if I may use the word) he's giving it."--Robert Coles (on the previous edition)
