Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The Lies That Bind
- Rethinking Identity
- Narrated by: Kwame Anthony Appiah
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.00 for first 30 days
The Lies That Bind
Buy Now for £14.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
We all know how identities - notably, those of nationality, class, culture, race, and religion - are at the root of global conflict, but the more elusive truth is that these identities are created by conflict in the first place.
In provocative, entertaining chapters, Kwame Anthony Appiah interweaves keen-edged argument with engrossing historical tales - from Anton Wilhelm Amo, the 18th-century African child who became an eminent European academic, to Italo Svevo, the literary genius who changed countries without leaving home - and reveals the tangled contradictions within the stories that define us. The concept of the sovereign nation, Appiah tells us, is incoherent. Our everyday notions of race are the detritus of discarded science; the very idea of Western culture is a shimmering mirage. These beliefs, and more, are crafted from confusions - confusions Appiah sorts through to imagine a more hopeful future.
Critic reviews
"The author narrates his own work and does a terrific job. His reassuring, playful voice, tinged with a British accent, is immediately friendly and knowledgeable....overall, Appiah can count himself a double-threat." (AudioFile)
More from the same
Author
Narrator
Love Books? You'll Love Audible.
Transform your day
Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.
Listen everywhere
You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.
Carry your entire Library
Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.
Listen and learn
Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.
Reach your reading goals
Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.
Find your niche
WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.
What listeners say about The Lies That Bind
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- ::m::
- 29-07-20
OK
Well written and probably useful as a primer for undergraduate courses. The writer has a talent for weaving examples, references and personal anecdotes into the text so that these feel relevant rather than becoming detours from the subject at hand.
At the same time the book fails to live up to the title’s promise of “rethinking”. The author stays close to his sources, and it is hard to see that he introduces any novel ideas of his own. At most he might add a commentary as to whether he agrees or disagrees with various ideas around identity, ideas that have already been put into existence by others.
It should also be noted that this book mostly deals with the English speaking world. It would be interesting to learn about identity from, say, China or India, but that seems to be outside of the scope of this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!