Understand Postmodernism: A Teach Yourself Guide

by Glenn Ward

More than 60 million books sold in the Teach Yourself series!
Learn to understand and appreciate postmodernism "Understand Postmodernism" is an indispensable guide to this sometimes challenging domain. Using contemporary examples to further understanding, it takes a broad look at theorists in a range of disciplines. Whether encountering postmodernism for the first time or needing a quick reference to support your studies, this guide offers readers a comprehensive introduction to the key ideas in this thought-provoking philosophy.

Includes: An introduction as wide a range of ideas, thinkers and views as possible without losing focus Many examples to help when encountering the theories involved One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Art, Education, Literature, Sociology, Academic

208 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1997

Reviews

[فؤاد · Rating 4 out of 5]

يادتونه يه زمانى چه دنياى قشنگى داشتيم؟ به بشريت و پيشرفت تاريخ باور داشتيم؛ حرف هم رو مى فهميديم؛ يه سرى دانشمند توى آزمايشگاه حقيقت جهان رو كشف مى كردن؛ يه سرى هنرمند جنبه هاى عميق شخصيت نبوغ آميزشون رو توى آثار هنرى بروز مى دادن؛ يه سرى كارگر با هم متحد شده بودن و مى خواستن نظام طبقاتى رو بر بيندازن؛ يه سرى استعمارگر هم كشورهاى جهان سوم رو مى دوشيدن؛ يادتونه؟ همه چيز معنا داشت، نظم داشت، عمق داشت، حقيقت پنهان داشت.

خب، اون دنيا سوخت و ويران شد. حالا فقط يه ويرانه ى در هم بر هم برامون باقى مونده كه هيچ كس نمى دونه چى كار بايد باهاش كرد. نه بشريت و پيشرفتى باقى مونده، نه حرف هم رو مى فهميم، نه حقيقتى مونده كه دانشمندها كشف كنن، نه شخصيتى كه هنرمندها بروز بدن، نه نظام واحد طبقاتى اى كه كارگرها براندازى كنن، و نه كشورهاى مستعمره اى كه استعمارگرها بدوشن.

كجا رفت اون دنياى قشنگ مون؟ كجا رفت اون همه معنا و نظم؟ فوكو، دريدا، ليوتار، بودريار، لاكان، دولوز، بارت، جيمسون و ادوارد سعيد بهتون ميگن.

اين كتاب
کتاب مقدمه ی ساده ای برای ورود به پست مدرنیسمه. کلیاتی از مباحث رو ترسیم می کنه، و کمی هم وارد تفاصیل می شه. با نثری روان و ترجمه ای نه چندان بد. هر چند ترجمه می تونست خیلی بهتر از این باشه. خوبی کتاب اینه که در پایان هر بخش، "خلاصه" ای از اون بخش رو مجدداً ارائه میده و همین طور، "نقد"های وارد شده به نظریات مختلف پست مدرن رو هم ذکر می کنه و گاهی جواب می ده.

کتاب سه بخش کلی داره:
بخش اول، راجع به هنر و ادبیات پست مدرن صحبت می کنه.
بخش دوم، راجع به فلسفه ی پست مدرن (فقدان واقعیت: نظریات بودریار، شالوده شکنی: نظریات دریدا، فقدان "خود": نظریات فوکو و لاکان)
و بخش سوم، راجع به سیاست و فرهنگ پست مدرن (فراروایت ها: نظریات لیوتار، پسااستعمارگری: نظریات ادوارد سعید)

[Jack Lindgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This excellent little overview should be required reading for any student of the humanities. If I'd read this when I was a freshman in college, I would have had a much better understanding of the intellectual trends that underpin everything from literary and film studies to gender theory to American history. I would have understood, for example, why my literature professor didn't care one bit about the director's intended meaning, or why that anthropology TA was so insistent that objectivity is impossible even in a cinéma vérité documentary.
The book itself is very readable (unless you're unfamiliar with the handful of British idioms and usage differences that crop up every once in a while) and probably of interest to anyone interested in the "history of ideas" but particularly to students. Reading this before taking a graduate seminar on critical theory made otherwise difficult concepts familiar and, again, it really should be required reading for anyone entering college in the humanities.

[Shakiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

موضوع پست مدرنیسم بسیار گسترده‌ست و در کتابی ۳۰۰ صفحه‌ای قطعا نمی‌شود به طور جامع و کامل به آن پرداخت. این کتاب فهرست‌وار سعی بر برشمردن ویژگی‌های پست مدرنیسم، مکاتب، نظریه‌ها و شخصیت‌های تاثیرگذار بر پست‌مدرنیسم دارد. این نگاه هرچند فهرست‌وار و بسیار پرشتاب است اما به جهت معرفی کردن منابع بسیار و مهم، ارزشمند است و در کل انسجام موضوعی آن از کتاب مدرنیسم همین نشر بهتر است.
در کل می‌شود گفت مدخلی‌ست برای ورود به جهان پست‌مدرنیسم و آشنایی با آن.

[Kaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense and hard to focus on at times, especially as it's a bit of a survey of lots of philosophies. If you haven't studied philosophy (i.e. me) it can be hard to grasp the terms and names. But it's a lot to go over in only 200 pages.

I enjoyed what I learned. It makes watching modern movies A LOT more interesting when put into context of WHY. I feel like I've always been dismissive of the term "postmodernism" but it's actually fascinating, and the art that has come out of it is equally so (think The Big Lebowski or Infinite Jest). I can now confidently say I understand where postmodernism comes from and kind of explain it in a few sentences, and most of all, the difference between postmodern and modern. I wonder what would happen if the author updated this book to include Facebook and selfie culture.

[Viji (Bookish endeavors) · Rating 1 out of 5]

That was the worst book I have read in a long time. I have a real dislike for the idea of postmodernism,but that's not the reason for my dislike of this book. The book is written in such a horrible style that reading every page seems to give me a headache. This shouldn't have been titled 'teach yourself',but instead 'how to hate'. How can a book be so dull,I wonder. I rafeel real respect for the authors of VSI series and For beginners series like James.N.Powell after reading this book. I have never thought writing brief introductions to the subject as a big deal. But now I understand that anything can be made worse,provided you have the right writer for it.
I give this book one star just because this is a book and I love books.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i picked this book up after reading reviews for oxford press' Postmodernsim: A Very Short Introduction where the reactions were mostly negative, most reviewers were claiming the writer as attacking postmodernism--instead of simply explaining it, and a reviewer mentioned this book as a more suitable alternative. i was really impressed with the clarity this book offers on some very complex philosophies, and though its author has postmodern biases, he always provided criticism for each theory or philosophy introduced. having been aware of a lot of the book's concepts before reading made for an easier understanding. i'd say this book fleshed out my patchwork knowledge of postmodernism/postmodernity.

[Lisbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really got me into the Post Modern frame of questioning. As a result of this book I had to pick up two other books from Postmodern thinkers, so this book did what it should and got me looking more closely at the topic.

Postmodernism is large and sometimes contradictory, it is ill defined overall, but in this book I came to see why that is the case. If you are interested in Philosophy and issues in our culture check it out.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read. Pulls you through the thickest parts of post-modernism and out the other end and gives you plenty to reflect on. Overall a fantastic introduction which puts some texts I had already ready into perspective.

[Abtin lankarani · Rating 5 out of 5]

انتشار اين كتاب از سوي نشر ماهي از نظر من بسيار هوشمندانه تر از انتشار كتاب مدرنيسم از همين انتشارات بود،با اينكه مترجم كتاب مدرنيسم اقاي رضا رضايي است، اما نتوانست ترجمه خوبي ارائه كند و ابهامات كه خود از خصوصيات مدرنيته مي باشد با خودداري مترجم از توضيح اصطلاحات تخصصي ،پر رنگ تر گرديد.
اين نكته را هم اذعان مي كنم براي درك مدرنيسم مي بايست دامنه معلومات خواننده بسيار وسيع باشد.
اما در خصوص كتاب پست مدرنيسم بايد بگويم ،ما در دوره اي به همين نام زندگي مي كنيم و ناخوداگاه با بسياري از ويژگي هاي اين دوره ي عجيب و مرموز اشنايي داريم ،به همين دليل درك كتاب براي من راحت بود.

[Abner Rosenweig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like diving into a tornado. The turbulent perspectives on society and culture introduced here are at times overwhelming, chaotic, violent, and confusing, yet somehow they feel like an accurate description of contemporary life. Wrapping one's head around postmodernism turns out to be nearly impossible, but once you understand that the very idea of postmodernism is that there is no central narrative but a wide array of associations and fragmented perspectives, you can more easily relax and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride! The book takes you through a dense, whirlwind tour of postmodernism and its implications over a wide array of subjects--art, architecture, media, society and culture in general, science, truth, identity, ethics, and more. As decentralized and fragmentary as postmodernism is, it does have something to say to the whole of human experience. At times the seemingly shallow relativism disgusted me, and I felt myself retreating to the modernist project along with Habermas. Elsewhere, I found that this unsettled perspective offered a great deal of insight into the complexity and dynamism of the contemporary experience. I'm left with a lot of questions and unresolved conflicts, which is exactly what a good introductory text should accomplish.

What else should a good introductory text do? If it's laying out a broad, aerial survey of the ideas and figures in a given field; helping readers understand the significance and excitement of the field; and encouraging further reading, then Glenn Ward accomplishes all this and more. This is a fantastic book and now I am ready to deepen my understanding with further reading of primary sources.

[David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tackles a wide range of material in a down to earth, almost patient manner, logically explaining the ideas and concepts of a broad array of thinkers in a way that makes sense.
I feel this book really has helped me to understand, and even agree with, many of its key concepts, in a way that other books have failed to do.
Further reading sources are frequently listed, along with relevant examples that helped me to understand why they were significant.
Not afraid of calling out BS when it's fair to do so, the work also shines a spotlight on some important ideas about the values we live by.
I couldn't find fault with either the logic or the layout of this book, and I really appreciated the conversational, no-nonsense style. Hence I can only award five stars.

[Frank Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Postmodern thinking has given us some very useful concepts, helping us to at least become conscious of what Roland Barthes referred to as "that which goes without saying." Concepts such as "appropriation" versus "bricolage" (which is a central -- especially artistic theme of postmodernism), the "deconstruction project" and the idea of "polysemy" has been incredibly useful in criticism as when feminists deconstructed film noir in order to read a narrative of subversion where the surface seems to bolster the patriarchal status quo. It was from this perspective that I curated a film series looking at films like Jaws, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer for buddhist dharma lessons.

Related fields like semiotics and ideas about coding and intertexuality make for thought-provoking discourse (another concept turned on its head by postmodern thought), and I've found great resonance in postmodernism's rejection of essentialism very much in parallel with the Madhyamika philosophy of emptiness.

And yet, I've also had a lot of antipathy with how much of postmodern thought is filled with vacuous jargon and obfuscation and its tilt toward a relativism that is as much to blame for the creation of a situation where the possibility of truth has become overly suspect, bringing us the administration of "alternative facts!"

I absolutely abhor the nonsense postmodern 'thinkers' posit about science, for instance. Distorting what scientists mean by "provisional," they claim that all knowledge is "only a construct" and that scientific knowledge is relative to specific situational contexts. Such a statement can only be true if we accept that facts do not exist and if we believe that humans are incapable of discovering facts. And as soon as this is made clear, the incoherence of asserting a truth that there are no truths implodes upon itself.

To be clear, I would argue that some factual assertions can be made and such facts can only be discovered through empirical scientific methods, offering truth that is beyond individual opinion and preference. Such facts include:
- DNA is the molecule that contains the primary genetic information that codes for organismal structure
- Steel is harder than copper
- Life has evolved over Earth's history
- The Earth orbits the Sun

This last I include because once this fact was unknown. It is now a well-known fact (despite fringe deniers who include 'flat-earthers')

There are those who deny the holocaust ever happened and base their arguments using postmodern concepts and themes.

So, postmodernism is a very mixed bag, and as such can be incredibly confusing. That's why a book such as this is helpful for those who have not studied the subject in university will find it a very useful overview, though I find Ward overly positive in his coverage of many of the thinkers included.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent overview of the concept of postmodernism. I'd have preferred an intro that focused more on just a few big thinkers (or doers) or topics, instead of a book that tries to cover a little bit of everything. It's got more names and styles and opinions (and "discourses" to use the preferred term here) than I can keep track of, though Foucalt, Derrida, Lyotard, and especially Baudrillard, get a fair amount of ink.

Ward's book focuses more on comparing postmodernism to modernism (which seems natural, obviously) but largely to the exclusion of any other philosophy or model or style. Ward covers (mainly) architecture, art, and philosophy, but also bumps into popular culture on occasion. He likes Madonna.

In Ward's view (maybe everyone's?), modernism was all about the grand narrative, or ideal man, one person or ideal everyone could strive for (but only a few could attain), whereas postmodernism allows for multiple narratives and ideals for everyone and everything. And, in general, there's nothing really new to be done after modernism, so everything postmodern is just a way of taking something older and re-purposing it in some new way or seeing it from a new perspective. Cool.

I suppose if the goal was to force you to read other books about specific postmodernists or postmodernisms (say, architecture) this book does the job--you have no real choice if you actually want to dig into the subject, because Ward doesn't provide many details or much context. And after reading it I'm certainly tempted, because the subject is interesting. I don't think it's "dead" either--it'd be hard to find something more postmodern, more of a simulation, than social media.

Anyway, if you're keeping score, I'll take postmodernism over modernism any day. But that's just me, you should have your own opinions and perspective.

[Peter Aronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of a book titled Teach Yourself Postmodernism is inherently risible, as if a mass of contradicting philosophies, views and theories with fuzzy boundaries between them could be learned like the rules of chess or tennis. Fortunately, the author is well aware of this, and explains in the preface it is a selective overview of the intellectual history and substance of the things that are called postmodernism.

As for the book itself, it takes an almost anthropological view of its subject, mostly staying at a half-step remove and mostly taking an neutral stance, not ignoring criticisms of various ideas presented. A lot of ground is covered, if necessarily thinly, in a relatively few pages. However, the interesting questions of the apparent intractability of physical reality and the the very limited uptake of postmodernism in the sciences never arises; neither is the odd fascination with work of Freud and Marx in much of postmodernism ever explained.

One of the best things about this book is all the references it gives you for further study, if you are so inclined.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite sure why this is titled as "Teach Yourself . . . " other than the fact that you must read it yourself. It's a good old-fashioned book without any whistles or bells in terms of specific curricular aids in the "teach yourself" department. As such, I found it only a mildly interesting book seeming written from no particular point of view (as if that were possible). The author seems neither critical nor accepting of a postmodern stance in any of the disciplinary expressions of postmodernism presented and so, for me, it was, more or less, a yawner. The one thing I came away with is that postmodernism can''t defined or understood in a single moment or example as in eureka! . . . this is it!

[Jeremy Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoy the teach yourself series of books, where they sought to lay down, a concise and lucid fashion the underlying ideas surrounding a certain subject.

it is no less different in this particular book on portmodernism, a difficult subject on its own. ontologically speaking, postmodernism is not easy to define as it is not a physical thing neither does it have an singular essence from which ideas and themes are thence expounded. however, the author manages to elegantly lay down its historical developments from modernity and in a non-chronological fashion elucidate the "ideas" to give postmodernism its multivalent quality.

an excellent read and highly recommended!

[Burak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kapaktan içerik kurgusuna, bilgiyi hap şeklinde sunmayı vaat eden,daha çok Amerikan tarzına özgü bu tür kitaplara karşı genel olarak doğru olduğunu da düşündüğüm bir önyargım vardır. Fakat bu kitabın, başlığında da belirttiği "postmodernizmi anlamak" konusunda, bana yardımcı olduğunu da itiraf etmeliyim. Postmodern bakışı, mimariden sanata, edebiyattan felsefeye, temel yönleriyle akıcı bir biçimde anlatsa, akımın önemli düşünceleri ve fikirleri hakkında fena olmayan cümlelerle doyurucu açıklamalar getirse de, postmodernizmin özellikle edebi edebi boyutuyla ilgilenen okuyucular için kitabın bu alanda fazla bir derinlik taşımadığını belirtmeliyim.

[Yrinsyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect starter to understanding what postmodernism means and is. Glenn Ward writes in a clear, concise manner and articulates what are often convoluted and complex theories and thoughts into understandable and uncluttered summaries. This book prompted me into having many conversations and arguments with my philosopher husband, who also rates this book as an excellent primer. For those who are interested in postmodernism, this is an absolute must read!!

[Ruric Amhari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast overview of postmodernism. Postmodernism with relation to literature, architecture and visual arts. Looks at the loss of the real, deconstruction of meaning, post-modern identities: the self, theories of subjectivity and post modern politics. Each chapter sets out mai ideas and thinkers and ends with a summary, also includes guidance for further reading.

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book if you want a more detailed summery of everything postmodern-from philosophy to art to cultural views. I had not yet realized, before starting the book, that postmodernism is a genre of philosopher and not a distinct one. It has copious further reading possibilities and breaks everything down into comprehensible component parts.

[Sarbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

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این کتاب هرآنچه را که مخاطب کتاب می‌خواهد درمورد پست‌مدرنیسم بداند در اختیار او خواهد گذاشت. کتابی خواندنی و منبعی ارزشمند که نه تنها تاریخ و بسیاری از اصطلاحات مربوط به پست‌مدرنیسم را شرح می‌دهد بلکه منابع ارزشمند دیگری را نیز در این زمینه معرفی می‌کند که علاقمندان و محققان می‌توانند بهره‌های زیادی از آن‌ها کسب نمایند.
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[Ivan Schulz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good intro book.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still using this as a reference.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

the most coherent, understandable and concise book I've read so far on Postmodernism.

[David Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does exactly what it says on the tin.

The simulacrum of a tin that signifies reality.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good and relatively in depth overview of the topic

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

clear explanation of (some) postmodern ideas. lyotard’s critique of science is stupid though.

[Loki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I good intro to postmodernism -- now I have a lot of books to read!

[Afshin. Pashaei]

اگر همچون بیان مقدمه کتاب از پست مدرنیسم تنها عنوان آن را شنیده اید
مطمئنا مطالعه این کتاب مفید است.به چند دلیل
انسجام مفاهیم و رعایت سلسه مراتب انتقال مطلب
مقدمه ای کامل از بررسی عوامل تاثیرپذیر از پست مدرنیسم
مقایسه پست مدرنیسم با مدرنیسم
آشنایی با شخصیت های تاثیرگذار بر پست مدرنیسم

در فصل اول با آغاز و تعریف پست مدرنیسم آشنا خواهیم شد و بمرور ضمن مطالعه به ترتیب فصل های بعدی با اثرگذاری پست مدرنیسم در عرصه معماری ،ادبیات ،هنر ،رسانه ،جامعه و سیاست آشنا خواهیم شد .همچنین در این میان گریزی به فلسفه وجودی پست مدرنیسم خواهیم زد و با آشنایی از ساختارگرایی و پساساختارگرایی از علت و علل شناخت این اندیشه بیشتر شناخت خواهیم یافت
در پایان کتاب متوجه خواهید شد که نویسنده و مترجم ضمن رعایت عدم جانب داری از قیاس های مدرنیسم و پست مدرنیسم این امکان را به مخاطب خواهند
داد تا وی با اتمام کتاب بیاندیشد که با توجه به وضعیت موجود جامعه و عرصه های مختلف هنری/فرهنگی، از میان مدرنیسم و پست مدرنیسم کدام یک معقول تر میباشد.
همچنین باید اشاره کنم با مطالعه این اثر با مکاتب مختلف روشنفکری در قرن 20 آشنا خواهید شد.بعنوان مثال با بیان اندیشه هورکهایمر و ادورنو لاجرم با مکتب فرانکفورت آشنا میشویم .همچنین فرصت نقد اندیشه بزرگانی چون فروید و لاکان را در اختیار داریم.
بطور کلی در عرصه آشنایی با پست مدرنیسم این کتاب ،اثری کاملا توصیه شده و مطلوب میباشد.

[zaza]

If I were to start making a review on the actual material covered in this book, I would begin writing another book so what will suffice for now is for me to review how well it covered postmodern theories. Glenn Ward does an excellent job covering these topics. He explains difficult topics clearly with concrete examples and ties back ideas to a philosopher you read about earlier in the book. The entire book was illuminating but my favorite chapters were “Identity in Crisis” part 1 and 2 and “Theorizing the Broken World” which informed me about Jean-Francois Leotard’s broad philosophical project. I can definitely understand why he and Zizek are opposed when it comes to the role of psychoanalysis and the solution, if any is needed, to the postmodern condition. I now have a healthy list of books I need to read through. This was such a great help.