Everyday Life and Cultural Theory: An Introduction by Ben Highmore

Ben Highmore traces the development of conceptions of everyday life, from Georg Simmel’s cultural sociology, through the Mass-Observation project of the thirties to theorists such as Michel Curteau.

‘Ben Highmore’s engaging and readable study of how modern and contemporary theorists have defined and examined everyday life provides a lens for students and scholars alike through which to examine a central issue in cultural studies and social thought.’ 

Ivan Karp, Emory University

‘Highmore has produced a valuable resource for teachers in all the disciplines that are concerned with the study of culture. He addresses the key thinkers who have defined the major variants of this crucial construct of cultural theory, and he has done so both accessibly and brilliantly.’ 

George Marcus, Rice University

Tribes by Seth Godin 

In this fascinating book, Seth Godin argues that now, for the first time, everyone has an opportunity to start a movement – to bring together a tribe of like-minded people and do amazing things. There are tribes everywhere, all of them hungry for connection, meaning and change. And yet, too many people ignore the opportunity to lead, because they are “sheepwalking” their way through their lives and work, too afraid to question whether their compliance is doing them (or their company) any good. This book is for those who don’t want to be sheep and instead have a desire to do fresh and exciting work. If you have a passion for what you want to do and the drive to make it happen, there is a tribe of fellow employees, or customers, or investors, or readers, just waiting for you to connect them with each other and lead them where they want to go. 

Seth Godin is a best-selling author and was named by Forbes.com one of the top 5 web celebs in the business world. He holds an MBA from Stanford University, and has been called ‘the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age’ by Business Week magazine.

Silence: Lectures and Writings by John Cage 

John Cage, a leading figure of the American musical avant-garde and lecturer and writer extraordinary, dedicated himself to the search for new horizons in musical composition. Silence is a collection of some of the essays and lectures that have made John Cage’s name synonymous with all that is unpredictable and exciting in contemporary miusic. Outrageous they may be, but to anyone who is receptive to new ideas, to fresh and original ways of looking at and listening to things, they are a mine of fascinating discovery. And, as Cage fans will expect, the book also contains a wealth of handy information on collecting mushrooms, fishing through ice, and so on, as well as many anecdotes and Zen-type stories which illustrate Cage’s exuberant artistic pre-occupations. 

John Cage, a leading figure of the American musical avant-garde and lecturer and writer extraordinary, dedicated himself to the search for new horizons in musical composition. His method of composition: an amalgam of chance operations, latitude in performace, the use of electronic sound and the inclusion of ambient noise. His aim: to increase the territory of his art and to celebrate the richness of life.