The Thing Itself: On the Search for Authenticity Hardcover - 2008

by Richard Todd

A deeply personal literary memoir that exploreswhat it means to live an authentic life in anincreasingly detached and self-conscious world.

Incited by the feeling that the essence of themodern world is buried beneath the distractionsof hype and melodrama, cultural critic RichardTodd began a personal search for authenticity,that elusive quality we often seek but seldomfind. In The Thing Itself, Todd attempts to discoverfor himself a new way of thinking by askingthe simple question: What is true in ourselvesand the world around us?

With an exquisite eye for detail and an inquisitivespirit, Todd launches into an involving andelegantly crafted investigation of what makesan authentically lived life. As he focuses on anarray of exchanges with people, objects, places,and ideas from the banal to the emotionallypoignant Todd shows us that there's a greatdistance between what we can touch, feel, andsee, and what interactions mean in our lives.Mining a rich and multifaceted store of modernphilosophy and personal experiences, he inchescloser to seeing himself and the world through aclearer set of eyes.

Engaging and readable, The Thing Itself offersunexpected insights into the very human searchfor meaning in our lives.