Keeping Good Time: Reflections on Knowledge, Power, and People

by Avery Gordon, Leon Golub

Avery Gordon's first book, Ghostly Matters, was widely acclaimed as a work of striking sociological imagination and social theory. Keeping Good Time, her much anticipated second book, brings together essays by Gordon that were "written to be read aloud." Her eloquent voice in this book further establishes her place among literary sociological writers of a new generation. Keeping Good Time will be of great interest to activists, feminists, sociologists, students and everyone concerned about how to beat the odds in influencing the shape of social and culture change. Readers will find their thinking changed by the author's perennial quest to "develop insights gained in confrontation with injustice."

264 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2004

Reviews

[abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, this seems like a magical book, in the sense that it investigates the concrete realities of the "modern" age with an eye for how people's less "modern" knowledges have been submerged and yet, have answers to the human dilemna that are as salient, if not more, for modern human life.

I think this author is very courageous and looks to expose anything, anywhere, as long as it serves to answer the question of how people can live better on earth. Very down to earth, but also very open to the occult, or the hidden wisdom of expolited, downtrodden or otherwise disempowered peoples.

Each of the chapters is an essay she wrote for a specific occassion, and is meant to be read aloud. I think they definintely read like an essay that she meant to read aloud to her students or some audience who had a reason to be listening.

[m.bryan.welton · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is sort of cheating. what i actually read was the chapter on toni cade bambara, actuality and utopian writing, titled 'something more powerful than skepticism', and it was excellent!