Faith in Fakes : Travels in Hyperreality

The first thing to say about this text, is that it is really a series of unrelated polemics, Op-Eds, musings and intellectual ponderings that would have done better to be separated out and sold in like collections, not shoved together and bound like spouses' unknown partners thrown together at a reunion BBQ. I mention that first because whilst Eco does elude to the book being an eclectic mix, it is probably a little more eclectic and a little less cohesive than one might have hoped for. Perhaps this is testament to his versatility or perhaps it is testament to the greed of publishers - probably the latter. The second reason I mention this is having just read Baudrillard's 'America' I couldn't help but feel that the beginning of this book was a significantly less desirable attempt to cast the Euro-philosopher's eye Westward with rather dire results. To compare 'America' and this would be a great mistake and probably not a fair fight.Perhaps the greatest charm of this work is the Italian philosopher's weltanshauung (as opposed to the French philosophers'). As per fashion, alcohol, car design and architecture, so philosophy presents itself differently in the mind. Eco seemed rather more human and witty at times, something Baudrillard could never be accused of, and this resonates a certain sympathetic tone in the reader's chest.One very small downside to this text is just how dated it is, and whilst in purely philosophical terms that isn't a problem, in historical discourse it is. Clearly Eco was commenting on events fresh in the lives of late '60s, '70s Italians (Europeans) and that rather comes across like reading an old newspaper you found stuffed in the wall. The work then becomes something of a historical curiosity rather than a work of philosophy, which is a shame.All in all `Faith in Fakes' represents a noble spoke on the wheel of postmodernist discourse and theory and without it we would, no doubt be worse off.

Good book

I have faith in the fact Umberto Eco is a Fake. What a bunch of rambling folderol this piece of rubbish this turned out to be. Since there there is no zero, I had to give it a one star.

good book, good condition

A curious m'lange of insight and observationThe first thing to say about this text, is that it is really a series of unrelated polemics, Op-Eds, musings and intellectual ponderings that would have done better to be separated out and sold in like collections, not shoved together and bound like spouses' unknown partners thrown together at a reunion BBQ. I mention that first because whilst Eco does elude to the book being an eclectic mix, it is probably a little more eclectic and a little less cohesive that one might have hoped for. perhaps this is testament to his versatility or perhaps it is testament to the greed of publishers - probably the latter. The second reason I mention this is having just read Baudrillard's 'America' I couldn't help but feel that the beginning of this book was a significantly less desirable attempt to cast the Euro-philosopher's eye Westward with rather dire results. To compare 'America' and this would be a great mistake and probably not a fair fight.Perhaps the greatest charm of this work is the Italian philosopher's weltanshauung (as opposed to the French philosophers'). As per fashion, alcohol, car design and architecture, so philosophy presents itself differently in the mind. Eco seemed rather more human and witty at times, something Baudrillard could never be accused of, and this resonates a certain sympathetic tone in the reader's chest.One very small downside to this text is just how dated it is, and whilst in purely philosophical terms that isn't a problem, in historical discourse it is. Clearly Eco was commenting on events fresh in the lives of late '60s, '70s Italians (Europeans) and that rather comes across like readingA curious m'lange of insight and observation an old newspaper you found stuffed in the wall. The work then becomes something of a historical curiosity rather than a work of philosophy, which is a shame.All in all ‘Faith in Fakes' represents a noble spoke on the wheel of postmodernist discourse and theory and without it we would, no doubt be worse off.