Selfie

How the West Became Self-Obsessed

De: Will Storr

Narrado por: Jack Hawkins, Will Storr

We live in the age of the individual.

We are supposed to be slim, prosperous, happy, extroverted and popular. This is our culture’s image of the perfect self. We see this person everywhere: in advertising, in the press, all over social media. We’re told that to be this person you just have to follow your dreams, that our potential is limitless, that we are the source of our own success.

But this model of the perfect self can be extremely dangerous. People are suffering under the torture of this impossible fantasy. Unprecedented social pressure is leading to increases in depression and suicide. Where does this ideal come from? Why is it so powerful? Is there any way to break its spell?

To answer these questions, Selfie by Will Storr takes us from the shores of Ancient Greece, through the Christian Middle Ages, to the self-esteem evangelists of 1980s California, the rise of narcissism and the selfie generation, and right up to the era of hyper-individualistic neoliberalism in which we live now.

It tells the extraordinary story of the person we all know so intimately – our self.

Exclusive to the audiobook, Selfie includes a unique 15-minute interview with the author, Will Storr, and reader, Jack Hawkins.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Selfie is far more ambitious than its title might suggest: a serious (although funny) philosophical and psychological inquiry into consciousness. Storr has taken perhaps the most interesting subject (who we are and how we feel about it) and pieced together an overarching narrative from the latest neuroscientific research, smart reporting and careful selections of his personal history. It 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)

Storr 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) . . . entertaining . . . fascinating

As entertaining as it is provocative and disquieting . . . His breezy prose is bedded down in intensive research, much of it immersive . . . his closing thoughts can’t help but be comforting

An ambitious argument . . . Storr is an electrifying analyst of internet culture, documenting the rise of connectivity in prose that crackles with the energy of the early 21st century . . . an excellent antidote to time-wasting on social media

Thoughtful and engaging . . . wonderfully funny . . . Storr’s cultural history is fascinating

This book is IMMENSE; like reading an Adam Curtis documentary (Stuart Heritage)

Storr is a magnificent reporter in the mould of Jon Ronson or Louis Theroux . . . Selfie is profound, uncomfortable, joyful, frustrating, fascinating, fragmented, inspired, heartbreaking, and occasionally riven with internal contradictions. Just like a person, really (Helen Lewis)

Brilliant . . . There aren’t many authors who can range so confidently across disciplines and, if you go with the flow, you’ll encounter some fascinating nuggets along the way . . . inspiring (Rohan Silva)

Absolutely reassuring

I loved this book so much, especially the exposure of the self esteem task force (groundbreaking!), the journey throughout history, the humor and how this focus on individualism influences our mental states. Found it greatly reassuring to hear my instincts on achievable goals don't have anything to do with 'underestimating yourself' or anything like that. Must read if you ever feel like not being enough, whilst you got the feeling you should be capable of being anyone you imagine.

History book of individual human

Great start and great ending. Had a bit hard time in the middle. Connecting some stories to the whole was not easy-going ride. Still would recommend and suggest to just jump chapter if it gets to too much history. The story is jumping anyway, so you can just start the next.

Highly recommended book

As someone very interested in personality, the social sciences in general, l really enjoyed this book.
It was interesting to hear that the author is is a high neurotic personality type like myself and learning about this through his experiences and views helped me tremendously. The narrator is also fantastic.

Wrong title

I honestly can't really tell what this book is about, but I know what is not about and that's not what the title or the tagline suggest.

I think 95% of the people buying this would think, based on the title, that this is book is about the digital era, but it only touches on that after 8 hours, and then just briefly.

There's some interesting parts, but I found it long and winding and not really going anywhere.

As I said, the title really hurts the book, because it's pretty much clickbait.