Dimensions
144 x 222 x 29mm
Why do so many people go on about queuing? Have we always been obsessed with traffic? And why do so many of us now eat lunch at our computers al desko?
We spend our days catching buses and trains, tapping away at computers, shopping, queuing, lying on sofas... But we know almost nothing about these activities. Exploring the history of these subjects as they come up during a typical day, starting with breakfast and ending with bedtime, Joe Moran shows that they conceal all kinds of hidden histories and meanings. By looking closely at the normally unobserved, he tells a story about social and cultural change in Britain and the Western world, in particular during the last 25 years. And along the way connections become apparent between what seem unrelated phenomena -- pubs and the weather forecast, or sandwiches and commuting. Drawing on his academic research on everyday life, but writing with wit and lucidity for a popular audience, Joe Moran shows that we know less about ourselves than we think...