Why read The Making of the Modern Self?

Book cover of The Making of the Modern Self: Identity and Culture in Eighteenth-Century England

Book description

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, a radical change occurred in notions of self and personal identity. This was a sudden transformation, says Dror Wahrman, and nothing short of a revolution in the understanding of selfhood and of identity categories including race, gender, and class. In this pathbreaking book,…

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European history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Making of the Modern Self as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

James R. Farr

Author

Wahrman’s book is eminently readable but nonetheless provocative. He asserts that toward the end of the eighteenth century a radical change, a cultural revolution, in fact, occurred in notions of self and identity. He uses a fascinating and engaging range of evidence to make his point, from theater to beekeeping, fashion, philosophy, art, travel accounts, and much more.

From James' list on The best books about autobiography, memory, identity, and the history of the self.