The Birth (and Death) of the Cool

By Ted Gioia

Book Overview

It's hard to imagine that "the cool" could ever go out of style. After all, cool is style. Isn't it? And it may be harder to imagine a world where people no longer aspire to coolness. In this intriguing cultural history, nationally acclaimed author Ted Gioia shows why cool is not a timeless concept and how it has begun to lose meaning and fade into history. Gioia deftly argues that what began in the Jazz Age and became iconic in the 1950s with Miles Davis, James Dean, and others has been manipulated, stretched, and pushed to a breaking point--not just in our media, entertainment, and fashion industries, but also by corporations, political leaders, and social institutions. Tolling the death knell for the cool, this thought-provoking book reveals how and why a new cultural tone is emerging, one marked by sincerity, earnestness, and a quest for authenticity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1682750159
• ISBN13: 9781682750155
• Release Date: December 2018
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press - Fulcrum
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

interesting, with implications broader than the direct subject

the birth (and death) of the cool offers a history of the rise of the concept of 'cool' (mostly through jazz; but, eventually, permeating modern culture), then suggest current realities showing it's demise. the suggestion is that the concept of cool -- aloof and above -- has gone by the wayside in our culture both by being watered down and co-opted, as well as by replacement values, like earnestness and authenticity. the author is a jazz historian, so much of the story is told through that lens -- but this makes sense since the concept of cool was born in that context. more interesting to me than the actual rise and fall of this youth-oriented cultural construct was viewing this as a case study for how values rise and fall within youth culture, and how those values -- particularly once they're simultaneously embraced by wider culture and by marketers -- dissipate and are replaced by new (or old) values. worth a read for anyone interested in the evolution of cultural values. i was constantly, during reading, thinking about how youth culture has become the dominant culture in america (and most of the developed world). the transitory values held by youth culture get amalgamated into mainstream culture, lose their purity (if that word can be used) and lose steam; by then, youth culture has moved on, and culture at large starts to look to youth for what's next.

A choice pick for any cultural studies collection

Can cool become a thing of the past? "The Birth and Death of the Cool" discusses the concept of cool and how it has been waning over the past few decades as it has become a tool of business and other elements. Going over the history of cool and where society may be heading next, Ted Gioia gives readers a fascinating read of cool. "The Birth and Death of the Cool" is a choice pick for any cultural studies collection.