Monoculture: How One Story is Changing Everything (original 2011; edition 2011)

by F S Michaels

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Winner of the 2011 NCTE George Orwell Award for outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse. One of The Atlantic's Top 11 Philosophy/Psychology Books of 2011 As human beings, we've always told stories: stories about who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. Now imagine that one of those stories is taking over the others, narrowing our diversity and creating a monoculture. Because of the rise of the economic story, six areas of your world - your work, your relationships with others and the environment, your community, your physical and spiritual health, your education, and your creativity - are changing, or have already changed, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And because how you think shapes how you act, the monoculture isn't just changing your mind - it's changing your life. "I found myself reading non-stop, underlining like crazy...an astute explanation about what I've been feeling recently, something I couldn't put my finger on... Michaels] writes in clear, energetic prose that's thoughtful, engaging and unforced. She defines and analyzes without judgment or insistence...a breath of fresh air..." - NPR Ohio "...a singularly brilliant and accessible analysis of some of the fundamental assumptions and driving principles of our time." - Comment Magazine "...a single lucid narrative that's bound to first make you somewhat uncomfortable and insecure, then give you the kind of pause from which you can step back and move forward with more autonomy, authenticity and mindfulness than ever." - The Atlantic "5 stars: The cause and effect of our world is more surprising than you'd think. With intriguing notions about the driving ideas of stories in every shape of our life, "Monoculture" is an incredibly fascinating way about how the mind works and today's consumer culture." - Midwest Book Review "If you just read one book this year, read this one." - BuriedInPrint blog "A smart and realistic guide to first recognizing the monoculture and the challenges of transcending its limitations." - BrainPickings.org "A thin, enrapturing gem. It's accessible, sensible--exactly the sort of book that should have (and still could + should ) take off and create a tiny little dent in books." - Kenyon Review… (more)

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Member:	jeffmacintyre
Title:	Monoculture: How One Story is Changing Everything
Authors:	F S Michaels
Info:	Red Clover (2011), Paperback, 202 pages
Collections:	Your library
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Monoculture: How One Story is Changing Everything by F. S. Michaels (2011)

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This book definitely hasn't met my expectations. The topic of the monoculture is huge but Michaels fails in building a real theory of it. She never approaches the theoretical level one should expect from this type of book. She ends up just exploring one monoculture, the economic monoculture we live in. It's the most important now, fore sure, but I also would have liked the exploration of past (or maybe not Western) monocultures. Besides this, nothing she says in this book sounds new or fresh, everything sounds over-simplified and she never gets to the deepness of thought one could expect (for instance, when she writes about sanity system she never gets close, not even a little, to what said on the topic by great thinkers like Ivan Illich). And when she gets to the pars construens things get even worse: everything she is able to do is mentioning 3 examples: the Slow Food movement, Christopher Alexander's pattern language, and Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication. Again, I was expecting more. (

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d.v. | May 16, 2023 |

I was surprised at how much I liked this little book, though the implications of the economic culture which it describes is thoroughly depressing. It's not a terribly academic work, though there are plenty of citations and resources for further reading, but rather a simply presented and argued look at how the economic story has permeated so many facets of everyday existence. (

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resoundingjoy | Jan 1, 2021 |

This review was deleted following Amazon's purchase of GoodReads.

The review can still be viewed via LibraryThing, where my profile can be found here.

I'm also in the process of building a database at Booklikes, where I can be found here.

If you read/liked/clicked through to see this review here on GR, many thanks.

buriedinprint | Jun 14, 2017 |

Monoculture by F.S. Michaels looks at how the unwritten and unspoken dominant culture of an area can shape the lives of the people within that culture. She argues that the current monoculture of the developed world is money — or more broadly the worth of things and actions.

Michaels outlines her argument around these key areas: work, relationship with others, relationships with the world, education, physical health, mental health, communities, and creativity. Against each of these areas of the human condition she tests her thesis.

A monoculture, as it is unwritten, doesn't mean the same thing for everyone. It doesn't turn people into sheep or lemmings, but it can affect lives through government policies and personal choices. Enlightenment, though, can help a person or an entire community break free from the invisible, assumed bonds of the monoculture.

It's a short, quick and fascinating book. I've since passed along my review copy to my friends to read.

I received a copy from the author for review. (

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pussreboots | Jul 10, 2013 |

An interesting idea given utterly superficial treatment. You'd think a book that's nearly a third references and recommended reading would be more substantive. Virtually the only passages worth taking note of were the epigrams and extended quotes from other works. (

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cdogzilla | May 26, 2013 |

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Monoculture: How One Story is Changing Everything

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2011

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"It is easy to forget how mysterious and mighty stories are. They do their work in silence, invisibly. They work with all the internal materials of the mind and self. They become part of you while changing you. Beware the stories you read or tell: subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world." Ben Okri

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For my friends and family, who helped me stay the course.

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Winner of the 2011 NCTE George Orwell Award for outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse. One of The Atlantic's Top 11 Philosophy/Psychology Books of 2011 As human beings, we've always told stories: stories about who we are, where we come from, and where we're going. Now imagine that one of those stories is taking over the others, narrowing our diversity and creating a monoculture. Because of the rise of the economic story, six areas of your world - your work, your relationships with others and the environment, your community, your physical and spiritual health, your education, and your creativity - are changing, or have already changed, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And because how you think shapes how you act, the monoculture isn't just changing your mind - it's changing your life. "I found myself reading non-stop, underlining like crazy...an astute explanation about what I've been feeling recently, something I couldn't put my finger on... Michaels] writes in clear, energetic prose that's thoughtful, engaging and unforced. She defines and analyzes without judgment or insistence...a breath of fresh air..." - NPR Ohio "...a singularly brilliant and accessible analysis of some of the fundamental assumptions and driving principles of our time." - Comment Magazine "...a single lucid narrative that's bound to first make you somewhat uncomfortable and insecure, then give you the kind of pause from which you can step back and move forward with more autonomy, authenticity and mindfulness than ever." - The Atlantic "5 stars: The cause and effect of our world is more surprising than you'd think. With intriguing notions about the driving ideas of stories in every shape of our life, "Monoculture" is an incredibly fascinating way about how the mind works and today's consumer culture." - Midwest Book Review "If you just read one book this year, read this one." - BuriedInPrint blog "A smart and realistic guide to first recognizing the monoculture and the challenges of transcending its limitations." - BrainPickings.org "A thin, enrapturing gem. It's accessible, sensible--exactly the sort of book that should have (and still could + should ) take off and create a tiny little dent in books." - Kenyon Review

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