From Stone Age cave paintings to the globalized pop culture of the present: Martin Puchner embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the cultural forms of expression of mankind. The Harvard professor and literary scholar succeeds in linking large historical lines with vivid case studies. He does not understand culture as a rigid construct, but as a dynamic archive of collective memory that is constantly reinterpreted.
Puchner combines disciplines such as art history, literature, philosophy and archeology into a lively narrative of cultural development. His global perspective is particularly exciting. Whether Gilgamesch-Epos, Confucianism, Renaissance or South Korean pop music: it shows how culture forms through exchange, translation and transformation. He also includes political dimensions and addresses colonialism and cultural appropriation.
The author impressively reminds us that culture is not a closed heritage, but a lively, changeable space – open to new voices, new forms and new connections. His style remains accessible, clear and elegant despite the scientific depth. The book is a plea for an open, inclusive understanding of culture as a common meaning. A clever book that shows how closely our cultural forms of expression are interwoven with the history and future of humanity. Sabine Delorme
Martin Puchner
Culture. A new history of the world
Klett-Cotta Verlag, 432 pages, € 35,-
ISBN 978-3-608-96659-6
