pdotb reviewed Self by Eilís Ward
Is it possible to fall in love with a book?
5 stars
Asking for a friend, of course...
While neoliberalism can be seen as a reconfiguration of the state to suit the purposes of business, that's not the main focus of 'Self'. Instead, Ward focuses on the way neoliberalism reconfigures the self into a competitive, autonomous individual, eschewing solidarity and collective action. As a Soto Zen practitioner, she draws the contrast between the two approaches to life, and comments on how a mindfulness stripped of its collective, ethical components (sometimes called 'McMindfulness') offers a band-aid to the hurt souls of neoliberalism.
To conclude, I don't often read books twice, but this is going straight back onto the TBR list as it definitely feels like it needs another go for me to really get everything out of it.
For a brief summary of the book, see this article in the Irish Times: www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/dr-eil%C3%ADs-ward-where-the-self-meets-political-economy-1.4757189