Searching for a Self: Identity in Popular Culture, Media and Society

This well-written book provides an interesting and engaging introduction to different perspectives on ‘identity’. The book’s particular strength is that the author has not tied himself to a particular perspective but offers views and discussions of ‘identity’ from semiotics, sociology, psychoanalysis, and Marxism, followed by 12 chapters in which he applies and brings these theories to life.

The multi-perspective approach to the topic of ‘identity’ is original. I have not seen a book like this before that explores identity from so many different angles. The applications discussed in chapters 6 to 17 are drawn from recent events, such as Trump’s presidency and the insurgence.

The book will be of great interest to Undergraduate and Graduate students looking for a readable entry into discussions about identity. It also might find a readership outside academia as it covers lots of current affairs and events.

Prof. Dr. Dirk vom Lehn

King's Business School

King's College London

Professor Arthur Asa Berger is one of the leading world scientists in semiotics, communication theory and advertising theory.

He has already published many scientific books on these topics in some of the world's leading publishing companies.

His books are translated into many languages - including Chinese, Russian, Spanish, etc.

His books are original, intellectual, highly readable, humorous, dialogical, and illustrated by himself, and these are the reasons for their publishing and academic success.

The book “Searching for a Self. Identity in Popular Culture, Media and Society” is one of his best.

In this, Professor Berger analyses in depth the concept of self from many different standpoints.

The concept of self has been analysed for the first time in the scientific literature from these perspectives.

The texts of the book are readable, and this will definitely help for the market success of the book.

This is a valuable university textbook, and it will be useful for students of many disciplines - linguistics, psychology, sociology, advertising, philosophy, journalism, etc.

I am quite convinced that this book by Professor Berger is very useful for the scientific community and the business, and it will be quite successful on the market.

Prof. Dr. Christo Kaftandjiev

This book is an intellectual work and at the same time easily accessible to every reader. Berger’s unique skill is to link semiotic theory and sociology with our lives in accessible and illustrative ways with storytelling – and through this, to provide us with a different understanding of our everyday existence.

It is a compelling approach to apply semiotic theory to a range of examples that we are all familiar with and that play a role in our lives. This includes the performance of gender, the role of tattoos, the impact of vodka on the Russian psyche, Porsche cult cars, and the marketing of elite universities. Many examples are what we experience every day.

Dr. Brigitte Biehl

Professor for Media and Communication Management, Head of Studies B.A. Creative Industries Management, Head of Studies M.A. International Management „Creative Leadership“, Director of the IWK Institut für Weiterbildung in der Kreativwirtschaft (Institute for Professional Development)

SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences