Showing results by author "Martin Puchner" in All Categories

Can anyone really own a culture? This magnificent account argues that the story of global civilisations is one of mixing, sharing, and borrowing. It shows how art forms have crisscrossed continents over centuries to produce masterpieces. From Nefertiti's lost city and the Islamic Golden Age to twentieth century Nigerian theatre and Modernist poetry, Martin Puchner explores how contact between different peoples has driven artistic innovation in every era - whilst cultural policing and purism have more often undermined the very societies they tried to protect.

Centuries ago in middle Europe, a coded language appeared, scrawled in graffiti and spoken only by people in the know. This hybrid language, dubbed Rotwelsch, facilitated survival for people in flight - whether escaping persecution or just down on their luck. It was a language of the road associated with vagabonds, travelers, Jews, and thieves that blended words from Yiddish, Hebrew, German, Romani, Czech, and other European languages and was rich in expressions for police, jail, or experiencing trouble, such as being in a pickle. This renegade language unsettled those in power.

Auf einer Reise von der Chauvet-Höhle in Frankreich durch das klassische Griechenland, die Bibliotheken der Azteken, Ashokas Indien, das China der Tang-Dynastie, Nofretetes Ägypten und weitere Epochen: Diese leicht verständliche und unterhaltsame Big History des deutschamerikanischen Literaturwissenschaftlers Martin Puchner enthüllt die Entstehung und Gründe menschlicher Kultur–und wie kulturelle Aneignung dies ermöglichte.

Martin Puchner nos mostra que precisamos nos envolver com o passado, e uns com os outros, para que as culturas realizem seu pleno potencial, a despeito dos erros, incompreensões e destruições que muitas vezes acompanham esse envolvimento. Para ele, a proximidade é o oxigênio que as mantém vivas.