[Subdue] Stranger Than We Can Imagine - John Higgs - 4*

[Robin P]

The full title is Stranger Than We Can Imagine: Making Sense of the Twentieth Century. I must have bought it as an ebook special (I get daily ads for ebooks on sale, and buy too many of them!) When this came up on my Subdue the Shelf board, I thought "Ugh, why did I even list this?" But I started reading and found it very interesting.

The author describes the 20th century in terms of trends that affected science, psychology, the arts, technology, etc. These trends include Uncertainty and Relativity, Modernism and Postmodernism, Individualism and Networks. He shows how discoveries in science of contradictory information correspond to Cubist paintings that show multiple views at once. He combines historical events with cultural fads. His conclusion is rather hopeful, stating that the younger generations no longer see as much value in individualism and are more open to working together. I hope that is true.