Review by Choice Review
Think you know what it means to be insulted? Think again. The taxonomy in this book is vast: dejection, hurt feelings, slaps in the face, dishonoring, provocative looks, abuse, dissing. Law offers its own categories: fighting words, hate speech, libel and slander, defamation of both individuals and groups. Insult humor gets its own chapter, as do insult games and sexual abuse. Also analyzed are religious insults, and dueling--with the code of honor on which it was based. The philosophical perspective is phenomenological and draws from sociology, literature, ethnology, and psychology. Freud looms large in the analysis, due to the author's role as editor of The Cambridge Companion to Freud (1991). The essence of an insult is "to suffer a shock, a disruption of one's sense of self and one's place in the world," and reactions range from indignation to resentment and anger. In his analysis of the possibility of forgiveness, Neu (Univ. of California, Santa Cruz) draws from contemporary analytic philosophers on topics as varied as resentment, excuses, and punishment. Given that insults are powerful and can lead to aggression and death, this is an important book on an important topic. A good bibliography and index add to its value. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. D. Stewart emeritus, Ohio University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Drawing on his position as a professor of humanities (Univ. of California, Santa Cruz; A Tear Is an Intellectual Thing), Neu gives us a wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and incredibly readable-if demanding-study of a subject that will be of interest to anyone who has ever been insulted-and who among us hasn't been? Neu emphasizes "philosophical, anthropological, psychoanalytic and legal approaches" to try to understand as fully as possible the nature of insults and insulting behavior. He considers obscenity, free speech, hate speech, libel and slander, insult humor, and other pertinent issues and gives myriad examples of hurtful behavior involving well-known persons as well as insults from classical to contemporary times. Included is a fascinating and detailed "Shakespeare Insult Kit" that shows the playwright's deep and intuitive understanding of this aspect of human nature. A delightful, important study for readers of all levels; highly recommended.-Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Library Journal Review
