The new Bauman reader

Zygmunt Bauman has written more than seventy books over five decades, most taking a single subject and finding doors to open it in all directions. His work is an essential reference point in sociology, but it is time that everyone caught up with him. In this book Tony Blackshaw doesn't just tell us that Bauman is a massive star in sociology, he demonstrates why his light shines brighter than that of almost any other intellectual figure in the world today by offering his readers deep insights into the 'Bauman Effect'.

The new Bauman reader is two books in one. On the one hand, it is a critical introduction to a vital and inspiring sociologist who stands against the predictable in 'majority' sociology to draw out daring and new insights from which we can all learn. On the other, it is an anthology of his work chosen with the specific aim of guiding readers, whether undergraduates, postgraduates, academics or general readers to Bauman's original way of 'thinking sociologically', which is as irresistible as the 'liquid' metaphor that guides it.

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REVIEWS

'Learned, questing and fearlessly alive to what it means to live in a shelterless world, there is only one Zygmunt Bauman. This astute selection, edited by one of the sharpest and shrewdest commentators in the field, provides a button bright introduction to Bauman. Newcomers will quickly see what all the fuss is about. While seasoned readers, conversant with the awesome range and multi dimensionality of his writings, will find something surprising and worth cherishing here. Readers have found the route master to Bauman's extraordinary oeuvre.'

Chris Rojek, Professor of Sociology, City University, London

'The new Bauman reader is the book on Zygmunt Bauman. In Bauman's lifetime we have moved from a state of solid modernity to an era of liquid modernity - Bauman invented these terms and this book explains why they matter more than ever. As Blackshaw shows, Bauman's work has evolved to such an extent that in these times of global celebrity intellectual culture Zygmunt Bauman is in the Top Five.'

Steve Redhead, Professor of Jurisprudence, Charles Sturt University, Australia

'With the term "liquid modernity" Zygmunt Bauman fired new thought about the circumstances of our everyday lives. The new Bauman reader contains an important new reflection on the liquid modernity debate by Bauman himself, and has been expertly compiled by Tony Blackshaw. It is an accessible tool kit with which we can all think with Bauman about the times we share.'

Keith Tester, Adjunct Professor, Thesis Eleven Centre for Cultural Sociology, LaTrobe University, Melbourne