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T**R
As Described, But Come On!...
Pros:Good overview and key concerns and ideas. Zizek's foreground-espoused atheism, at least according to this introduction's implications, is circumstantial happenstance that neatly conforms to his Communist idealism and his postmodern liberational politics...because he "authentically desires it to", possibly because he identifies politically with the "transgressions" of the "pervert" that lives on the margins of the "big Other's" dominating collective pro-capitalist discourse. That said, it's an expectedly ethical atheism informed by the promise of Marxist critique. I don't find it necessary to his ideas, however, and so I do think there is room for people of informed faith to read Zizek, if only for reference. This book might well be such a digestible introduction.Cons:I find gaping holes in any critique of Zizek's frequent disavowal of influences. Instead, we find him saying that such and such thinker in the past agrees with him... O_o And the authors of this book say not one word about that. Mmmkay.
B**T
A worthwhile read for both novices and experienced readers of Žižek
This is a good introductory text to the work of Žižek. Žižek’s work can be extraordinarily dense and difficult to digest but this text does a nice job providing readers with a (very) surface view of his major concepts and contributions to philosophy. I would recommend this text, coupled with Kelsey Wood’s Readers Guide, as a good starting point to engage his work. I have spent the past few years immersed in Žižek’s work as the foundation for my dissertation and still found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable and worth the read.
C**N
Basic but sufficient and funny enough
Fairly standard explication of Zizek's ideas until about 2010. It does not significantly discuss Zizek's work on German idealism, but does cover Zizek's reading of Lacan and Christianity as well as his Pre-2010 political ideas fairly clearly and humorously.
E**T
Zizek for dummies
A quick and dirty guide to the essential concepts. I liked the book for doing what it set out to do. . . which is be a simplified introduction to a modern philosopher / culture critic
L**C
Zizek is amazing
This introducing book is a good start towards understanding Zizek's conception of the truth and other of his fascinating Ideas.I know really want to know more about him .
E**A
Four Stars
Pretty good and clear introduction to a very difficult subject
S**
Five Stars
Product was as described and expected I it to be. Fast shipping. Would definitely purchase again.
P**5
and Christopher does a nice job of presenting the work in an easy format
Important as an introduction to this thinker, and Christopher does a nice job of presenting the work in an easy format.
S**6
Hard reading
Zizek is known for being hard to read at the best of times. He tends to speak as thoughts literally run through his brain. He just types what he thinks, so you often get a lot of information, and your often taken on a strange journey before he finally concludes something, sometimes he throws in the odd joke or some film reference. On top of that he seems to have a lot of time for Marx and Lacan and sometimes Freud. So the words alienation, Big Other, Ego, Super ego, pop up a lot. Zizek has a wonderful mind, but unfortunately he talks a bit to much at times, so its hard to pin point where he stands on a lot of issues. The book itself is average. I think it struggles to really explain Zizek to people. That said the book does have a few pages here and there that are really interesting. He touches on desire, temptation, a little bit on communism, how charity can sometimes be a bad thing, he even touches on more taboo subjects like violence and how sometimes its justified, the paranoia of 9/11, and also a little bit of psychoanalysis is thrown in. That said Zizek is someone we should always doubt. I am not sure I always buy into his views on things, for example his anti-capitalism views and analysis are very good, but he doesn't really offer a solution to the worlds problems. That being said, there is no one else like him. Worth a read. But even after buying several of Zizek's own books his position on a lot of things still remain hazy to say the least.
K**R
A great secondary guide to the sprawling ideas of uncle Z
Would recommend and so on and so on. for anyone looking for a concise guide that quickly covers key ideas!
D**N
excellent!
Very helpful overview of where to start looking to understand this prolific author and thinker. Very useful as a jumping-off point, although more indexing of these ideas to their originating texts would have been even more useful.
T**Y
Good introduction to Zizek
Zizek is a very crazy guy. A real weirdo. But he says some interesting things sometimes for sure - the problem is it's hard to give it context and continuity. This book does that, by explaining a general overview and framework of Zizek's ideas.
J**D
An agreeable biography
Very simplified and not entirely correct.
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