Isn't This Fun?
Investigating the Serious Business of Enjoying Ourselves
1st Edition
Published on 30. June 2016
400 pages
978-1-4711-5483-6 (ISBN)
Description
Michael Foley, the author of bestselling The Age of Absurdity, wants to understand why he doesn't appear to be experiencing as much 'fun' as everyone else . . .
And so, with characteristic wit and humour, Foley sets out to understand what fun really means, examining its heritage, its cultural significance and the various activities we associate with fun. He investigates pursuits such as dancing, sex, holidays, sport, gaming and comedy, and concludes that fun is not easy, simple and fixed, as many seem to believe, but elusive, complex and constantly changing.
In fact, fun is a profoundly serious business.
His findings will invigorate you with insights, quite possibly help you to understand why the post-post-modern is actually the pre-pre-modern and, at the very least, make you laugh at life.
'This book is such a wondrous kaleidoscope of rage, based on such a deep reading of all the sources, that I shall be searching out his other works to read forthwith. The man is a marvel.' Daily Mail
And so, with characteristic wit and humour, Foley sets out to understand what fun really means, examining its heritage, its cultural significance and the various activities we associate with fun. He investigates pursuits such as dancing, sex, holidays, sport, gaming and comedy, and concludes that fun is not easy, simple and fixed, as many seem to believe, but elusive, complex and constantly changing.
In fact, fun is a profoundly serious business.
His findings will invigorate you with insights, quite possibly help you to understand why the post-post-modern is actually the pre-pre-modern and, at the very least, make you laugh at life.
'This book is such a wondrous kaleidoscope of rage, based on such a deep reading of all the sources, that I shall be searching out his other works to read forthwith. The man is a marvel.' Daily Mail
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Other editions
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Book
06/2016
Simon & Schuster Ltd
€13.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Michael Foley was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, but has lived most of his adult life in London, working for twenty-three years as a Lecturer in Information Technology at the University of Westminster before retiring in 2007 to concentrate on full-time writing. He has published critically-acclaimed poetry, novels and non-fiction, including The Age of Absurdity (Simon & Schuster 2010), which was a bestseller and has been translated into seven languages.
Content
- Intro
- Half-title page
- Also by Michael Foley
- Title page
- Copyright page
- Dedication page
- Contents
- Part I - Defining Fun
- 1. Isn't this Fun?
- Part II - Understanding Fun
- 2. Fun and Ritual
- 3. Fun and Transcendence
- 4. Fun and the Group
- 5. Fun, Boredom, Anxiety and Authenticity
- 6. Fun and Play
- 7. Fun and Transgression
- 8. Fun and Hedonism
- Part III - Having Fun
- 9. Fun Goes Dancing
- 10. Fun Goes Comical
- 11. Fun Goes Sexual
- 12. Fun Goes on Holiday
- 13. Fun Goes to the Game
- 14. Fun Goes Spiritual
- 15. Fun Goes Political
- Part IV - Assessing Fun
- 16. The Post-Postmodern is the Pre-Premodern
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Index
