Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism

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Keywords: The NewLanguage of Capitalismchronicles the rise of a new vocabulary in thetwenty-first century. From Silicon Valley to theWhite House, from kindergarten to college, and from the factory floor to the church pulpit, weare all called to beinnovatorsandentrepreneurs, to becuratorsof an ever-expanding roster ofcompetencies, and to becomeresilient and flexible in the face of the insults and injuries we confront at work. In the midst of increasing inequality, these keywords teach us to thrive by applying the lessons of a competitive marketplace to every sphere of life. Whats more, by celebrating thevalues ofgrit,creativity,andpassion at school and at work, they assure us that economic success is nothing less than a moral virtue.

, modeling for us the habits of the economically successful person: be visionary, be self-reliant,and never, ever stop working.

Reviews

"John Patrick Learys bracing study of the market regimes signature catchphrases and word clouds allows us to see how the dogmas of late capitalism increasingly shape not merely the taken-for-granted order of things but also the very language we might otherwise employ to challenge that order. Still, even as Learys dogged philology points us toward grim conclusions, his critical voice also showcases the best uses our common tongue can servecalling out the lies and cruelties of the patois of the capitalist market for what they are.Keywordsis a worthy successor to the groundbreaking work of Raymond Williams, and deserves just as wide a readership."Chris Lehmann, author ofRich People Things

"John Pat Leary has written a history of the present in the form of lexicon of its keywords. Resilience, flexibility, passion, wellness, synergy, and dozens more he explains the political work done by wordsthat fuel and beset our imaginations, that hail and exhort us to keep working and buying things and paying our debts in times of crisis, decline, and uncertainty about the future. We dont have nearly enough bulwarks against despair. This book is it!" Sarah Brouillette, Professor, Department of English, Carleton University

"In this masterful dissection of capitalism's modern lexicon, John Patrick Leary elucidates the ideasand ideologyshaping our contemporary political moment." Nicole Aschoff

"If you feel like youre drowning in the endless torrent of capitalist bullshit, turn to this excellent glossary which explains what all those terms really mean. Dip into it, use it as a reference, or read it cover to cover - however you approach it, youll find it immensely clarifying (and sanity-restoring)." Doug Henwood

Author Bio

John Patrick Leary is Associate Professor of English at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he teaches nineteenth- and twentieth-century U.S. and Latin American literature. He is the author of A Cultural History of Underdevelopment: Latin America in the U.S. Imagination (2016) and numerous scholarly articles and essays.