Portland Public Library

Turning back the clock, hot wars and media populism, Umberto Eco ; translated from the Italian by Alastair McEwen

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Turning back the clock

bibliography

141483068

Umberto Eco ; translated from the Italian by Alastair McEwen

"The time: 2000 to 2005, the years of neoconservatism, terrorism, the twenty-four-hour news cycle, the ascension of Bush, Blair, and Berlusconi, and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Umberto Eco's response is a series of essays - which originally appeared in the Italian newspapers La Repubblica and L'espresso - that leaves no slogan unexamined, no innovation unexposed. What led us into this age of hot wars and media populism, and how was it sold to us as progress? Eco discusses such topics as racism, mythology, the European Union, rhetoric, the Middle East, technology, September 11, medieval Latin, television ads, globalization, Harry Potter, anti-Semitism, logic, the Tower of Babel, intelligent design, Italian street demonstrations, fundamentalism, The Da Vinci Code, and magic and magical thinking."--BOOK JACKET

hot wars and media populism

Some reflections on war and peace -- Love America and march for peace -- The prospects for Europe -- The wolf and the lamb: the rhetoric of oppression -- Enlightenment and common sense -- From play to carnival -- The loss of privacy -- On political correctness -- On private schools -- Science, technology, and magic -- For whom the bell tolls: a 2001 appeal for a moral referendum -- The 2001 electoral campaign and veteran Communist strategy -- On mass media populism -- Foreigners and us -- Revisiting history -- The revolt against the law -- Pasta cunegonda -- Chronicles of the late empire -- Between Dr: Watson and Lawrence of Arabia -- Words are stones -- Back to the seventies -- Kamikazes and assassins -- Holy wars, passion, and religion -- Negotiating in a multiethnic society -- The taking of Jerusalem: an eyewitness report -- Beauty queens, fundamentalists, and lepers -- What are we to do with the pre-Adamites? -- The roots of Europe -- The crucifix, its uses and customs -- On the soul of the embryo -- Chance and intelligent design -- Hands off my son! -- Those who don't believe in God believe in everything -- Relativism? -- Are the Italians anti-Semites? -- The plot -- Some of my best friends -- Some of her best friends -- A dream -- On the shoulders of giants -- On the disadvantages and advantages of death