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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Requesting a recommendation: introductory memetics book?

Raw Norton

01:28 / 24.02.03

To give you some background, I already have some familiarity with the subject, but have never actively looked into it. I've been meaning to, though, ever since a few years ago when everyone was reading memetics. In a couple of weeks I go on spring break (woooooo!, as the kids say on MTV) and I need reading material.

To give you an idea of what I want: a "general" memetics book, one that covers the basics and doesn't focus too much on any given aspect. Something that's compelling and readable--something of the Pop Science variety, no dense technical writing. Something that's current, unless there's a "grandaddy" of memetics writings that's not yet dated. Something 200-400 pages.

go crazy

Kit-Cat Club

08:26 / 24.02.03

What about The Meme Machine? Widely available, reasonable length, well-regarded, etc. OUP, by Susan Blackmore, Amazon review...

illmatic

12:07 / 24.02.03

Well, there's Richard Dawkins as well, it being him who started it off in The Selfish Gene, I think. The memes part is only a chapter as well, so you could get it out the library. You could also look at William burroughs for the whole "word as virus" idea.

Ethan Hawke

13:31 / 24.02.03

I'd echo the recommendation of Blackmore; in fact, that's the only book on memetics I've ever read I'd recommend. The other popular memetics titles, like books by Rushkoff, (Media Virus), Richard Brodie (Virus of the MInd), Aaron Lynch (though contagion) all seemed to me long on posturing and "just-so" stories and short on analysis.

Not strictly memetics (I don't believe he ever discusses memes at all) but certainly related, and au courantis Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. I find Gladwell to be a very lucid and curious writer, which is ideal for the soft science his book peddles.

If you find any other, newer books on the subject, let us know, 'k?

Kit-Cat Club

13:35 / 24.02.03

Thread on The Tipping Point. Might be useful.

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