Product Description

Michel Foucault’s work has profoundly affected the teaching of such diverse disciplines as literary criticism, criminology, and gender studies. Arguing that definitions of abnormal behavior are culturally constructed, Foucault explored the unfair divisions between those who meet and those who deviate from social norms. In Foucault For Beginners, the reader will discover Foucault’s deeply visual sense of scenes such as ritual public executions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215493 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-21
• Released on: 2007-08-21
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Customer Reviews

An invitation to explore further...
A good introduction to beginning an understanding of a philosopher that has a complex and insightful approach to power relations, and ways of viewing human history. However, this is a basic introduction - and one shouldn't hope for a thorough review of the works of Foucault. I think this is a book that invites anyone interested to pick up a further book on Foucault to follow on and learn more.

Interesting Simple Intro
As a beginner, the book presents Foucault as a documenter - discussing and disecting the history of power and professional relations. He covers knowledge and power, sexuality, prisons, mental health.... The span is enormous, highlighting Foucault's multidisciplinary reputation.

The downside of the book (indeed a limit of the Manga-like series) is it spends too much time on Foucault's role as as a chronicler of data, and leaves the reader on their own for much of his conclusions. An example: the book talks of Foucault's description of the medical clinic and doctor's "Gaze" but the book doesn't share if Foucault thought this was good or bad. Given Foucault's well deserved reputation as a complicated writer, this beginner could use the help.

Yes, It Really Is For Beginners
This is by far the best intro to Foucault I've read. Thinking like Foucault use lots of complex language and have really complex ideas, but this book explains those ideas in a very easy-to-understand way. It's short, so you'll be finished quickly, but you will get a really good (introductory) sense of Foucault's entire project. That sense will stick with you pretty well, too, because every page is illustrated. This is an important thinker, and I can't imagine a better introduction. Read it.