Selfie: How the West became Self-Obsessed by Will Storr Book Review

Released: 22nd March 2018

Genre: Non-Fiction, Society, Politics

Number of Pages: 336

The age of perfectionism is not confined to the 21st Century; instead it has been an endless component of human history, from Narcissus gazing at his own image in the pool to the modern-day selfie takers posting endless amounts of personal pictures. Journalist Will Storr breaks down and examines this phenomenon in “Selfie: How the West became self-obsessed”.

Beginning with mankind’s beginnings and trappings of Greek mythology, Storr uses to two-part structure to relay his insights; the first is a historical context and the second is a personal tale that ties directly into each time period. For the latter, Storr has experienced some of these events first-hand and provides his own perspective at certain points, for example the exploits of the overzealous and controversial US politician John Vasconcellos which had a considerable effect on the perception self-esteem in the 1980s. At other points, the author relays some of the more recent conversations he had with other individuals, some of whom are sure to raise a few eyebrows. The most notable of these for me was a snarky woman known as CJ, whose endless obsession with attention caused her to behave very callously towards her peers. You can look upon these people with distaste, but the overarching point still stands; so many individuals today have fallen victim to the pursuit of perfection and all the damage it can bring. Each of these ideas is superbly presented throughout the book.

Throughout the pages which are spread across seven books, there’s a real sense of progression generated to the point where it almost becomes a full-blown historical timeline; yet it’s also both reflective on the way we are as a species. Tribalism, gossip, narcissism; these are elements that have pervaded the human psyche for years and Storr is able to convey this historical fact with ease. By touching on various aspects of politics and society, especially neoliberalism which has fuelled the sense of competition in today’s world, the author’s theories and ideas are tough to argue against. The only problem I found was that the historical contexts and the lengths Will goes to discuss them can often outstay their welcome and become a bit long-winded. This may stick out for readers who find it tricky to get fully absorbed in a book. Be that as it may, they’re all needed to give Storr’s second component more reflective weight.

Recommended?

YES: If you can get past some of the more long-winded tales, Selfie is a capable chronicle of society, politics, and history blended together into an often-intriguing mix. Its greatest strength is the collection of stories Storr gathers, some revealing and others being more than a bit disturbing. The amount of research that has been poured into this book is highly commendable and anyone interested in today’s society at large should definitely give it a read.