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But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking about the Present as If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman
trin's review against another edition
4.0
A book-long pointless intellectual exercise, but a really fun and interesting one. This is my favorite Klosterman in a while: it's both more serious and thoughtful, and funnier, than his last few efforts. If you'd like the experience of a truly excellent semi-sober dinner conversation with a smart, surprising companion but in book form, well -- here it is!
daumari's review against another edition
4.0
Finished in the not-quite-wee-hours of the morning. I picked this up from the library the weekend before the election and it ended up being a bit too relevant, at least re: the mountains of thinkpieces and criticism re: why so many people seemed to be wrong in the aftermath. What happened? Is there an unseen piece to how we got to this result? Will it ever be knowable?
This is my first Klosterman book, so I don't know if philosophical essays are his thing (guessing they are), but I was fascinated by how any subject- music, television, the nature of our reality - could be placed in this hypothetical archaeological site by the civilizations of the future. Much of this seems like a bar argument gone on too long (and I'm guessing some of these passages probably stemmed from such).
I do disagree with his criteria for how future generations will view television- as far as I know, while people enjoy the mundane texts of the ancient world (I've seen the tumblr post recently musing on things people take for granted but we don't write down, with some user citing Punt, Egypt's trading partner that they wrote extensively about- except for where it's located), people also enjoy the epics of ancient mythology. It's pretty improbable that a deity came down in the form of a bird or a bull to have sex with a human, but it makes for a luridly entertaining story. I'm also not sure how he thinks TV is its own distinct medium, birthed from radio but categorized differently- similar genres can transcend medium like epic fantasy, historical pieces, comedies, etc.
The musings on the permanence of history or science was more interesting to me- the idea that a paradigm shift *will* happen, but we can't see/predict what it will be because we're in the current paradigm. I do think the presence of the internet changes the idea of history with the presence of web archives, though future archaeologists will have to be vigilant on what's real and what's a Poe's law facsimile.
Overall, a recommended read, especially if you want to be slightly comforted by the idea that nothing happening now matters (or maybe it does, but we don't know how yet).
This is my first Klosterman book, so I don't know if philosophical essays are his thing (guessing they are), but I was fascinated by how any subject- music, television, the nature of our reality - could be placed in this hypothetical archaeological site by the civilizations of the future. Much of this seems like a bar argument gone on too long (and I'm guessing some of these passages probably stemmed from such).
I do disagree with his criteria for how future generations will view television- as far as I know, while people enjoy the mundane texts of the ancient world (I've seen the tumblr post recently musing on things people take for granted but we don't write down, with some user citing Punt, Egypt's trading partner that they wrote extensively about- except for where it's located), people also enjoy the epics of ancient mythology. It's pretty improbable that a deity came down in the form of a bird or a bull to have sex with a human, but it makes for a luridly entertaining story. I'm also not sure how he thinks TV is its own distinct medium, birthed from radio but categorized differently- similar genres can transcend medium like epic fantasy, historical pieces, comedies, etc.
The musings on the permanence of history or science was more interesting to me- the idea that a paradigm shift *will* happen, but we can't see/predict what it will be because we're in the current paradigm. I do think the presence of the internet changes the idea of history with the presence of web archives, though future archaeologists will have to be vigilant on what's real and what's a Poe's law facsimile.
Overall, a recommended read, especially if you want to be slightly comforted by the idea that nothing happening now matters (or maybe it does, but we don't know how yet).
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
I simply love Klosterman's perspective on current events and general ideas. He's a great writer as well and frequently dips into the odd but informative. Loved this books as much as his nonfiction I've read in the past. As an aside: He's written some really great fiction too.
marydith's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
3.75/4
The overall premise here is really interesting, and something that resonates with me as a person who grew up in a strict southern Baptist environment with a very “this is right and this isn’t,” worldview. I love Klosterman’s personality- I think it’s one of his strengths as a writer- but I feel like we lose that a lot in this book. The moments where he’s talking about how we collectively perceive culture are really strong.
Overall, thought provoking and fun, if a little redundant at times.
The overall premise here is really interesting, and something that resonates with me as a person who grew up in a strict southern Baptist environment with a very “this is right and this isn’t,” worldview. I love Klosterman’s personality- I think it’s one of his strengths as a writer- but I feel like we lose that a lot in this book. The moments where he’s talking about how we collectively perceive culture are really strong.
Overall, thought provoking and fun, if a little redundant at times.
crazylady_usmc's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0