The Authenticity Hoax

Exploring a number of trends in our popular culture, Andrew Potter argues that our pursuit of the authentic is fraught with irony and self-defeat. Thought provoking and revelatory, The Authenticity Hoax exposes how the search for the "true" and "real" is rooted in a society obsessed with individual elitists suckered into believing that their lifestyles are the only genuine ones in a fake world. Manipulated by the inescapable consumerism and sound bites of contemporary life, influenced ethically and politically, people embrace an artificiality borne of mass culture that alienates relationships and communities. In this no holds barred critique of modernism, Andrew Potter also shares how we stop worrying about being "authentic" and learn how to find peace and meaning with our current world, the people around us, and ourselves. "A totally real, genuine, authentic book about why you shouldn't believe any of those words. And it's genuinely good." — New York Times bestselling author Gregg Easterbrook "It's a fascinating approach to a fascinating subject, and Potter bolsters his argument with examples drawn from pop culture, history, and other sources. Written in a lively style that invites the reader to argue with the author, the book, at the very least, will turn the reader's eye inward, and make us take a good, long look at the way we present ourselves to the world." — Booklist "Potter's lively cultural analysis combines an astute analysis of foundational antimodernist thought (in particular Rousseau) with savvy surveys of mass culture to flag the pitfalls and ironies of the modern obsession with authenticity in its every incarnation (authentically punk, spiritual, environmentally conscious) from our jeans to our celebrities." — Publishers Weekly