Reality Isn't What It Used to Be: Theatrical Politics, Ready-to-Wear Religion, Global Myths, Primitive Chic, and Other Wonders of the Postmodern World

I first stumbled upon this book by accident, read a few pages, and was amazed, amused, aghast and (forgive me) agog! Written in 1993, the author's observations and predictions (although he wasnt trying to be prophetic) were accurate and correct -- especially the section about whatit would "take" to get Americans to support a war - and how long (or short) the govt. could keep the people from getting fed up. He said it would take something like Pearl Harbor -- of that magnitude in order for teh govt to whip up enough support for a vindictive invasion/assault etc. He was right about that! That's just one small section -- the entire book is fascinating, easy to read, and explains the fracas over Globalization better than any other book I've read. Buy it.

Anderson's reevaluation of the past few decades puts a clarifying and relieving spin on everything from global memes to the Ayatollah Khomeini. He sees the postmodern era as superficially confusing but surprisingly comprehensible on a deeper level. By reconsidering the growing pains of our complex and creative species in light of the theory that we humans construct our own realities, he shows the reader pattern and order and even hope amidst the fascinating chaos of our times.

This is an excellent survey of post-modernism. Anderson manages to explain a lot of esoteric ideas in an entertaining but thorough fashion. While he clearly considers himself a post-modernist, he is a critical and fair-minded one who isn't overly condescending to those who don't share his views.

This book explains post-modernism in a way that is stripped of jargon and academic excess. It is an enjoyable book to read, and quite informative. The author makes a good case that the world has been altered by the existence of post-modernism, even for those who do not accept it as their worldview. I found that argument to be compelling, and the book as a whole to be a useful insight into the entire post-modernist enterprise.

This is the real thing. Of course, in Anderson's hopeless, anchorless world of socially constructed reality, he wouldn't want to be thought of as "true" anything, because in his view nothing is really "true." But that Anderson could stand as evidence of the very thing he thinks doesn't exist is why this PoMo thing is so much fun. If you're a PoMo believer, then get your gospel here. If you hope that something more real waits in our future, then grab a window anyway, because here is the genuine article attitude we will confront.