Identity: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

It was educational.

Very easy to read and understand perfect for uni

This is quite an interesting book. 'Identity' tends to be one of those aspects of our humanity that can change with context - whether physical or personal and subjective. This book gives an overview of a range of perspectives wherein identity is often defined, if not by ourselves, then by others, or by society as a whole. None of it is rocket science to anyone who is aware of the wider perspectives of life and of society, but it is a nice little effort at bringing a lot of these ideas together in one place and linking them, for any interested reader. And of course there is a References and Further Reading section in the back for anyone who wants to dig deeper.

This Short Introduction asks the question “what is identity” and, if I’m honest, I’m none the wiser having read the book. I thought that the concept of identity was a simple one, whether talking about individual or collective identity, but it seems that I was badly wrong.Whilst the author approaches the subject in a logical way, I’m not entirely sure that all of the concepts opened are really valid, as they seem to cloud the subject rather than to provide any answers. I’m prepared to give the benefit of the doubt as perhaps it is just my lack of understanding, and I will read more on the subject using the book’s bibliography, but I can’t shake the feeling that perhaps one can read far too much into a simple concept. Three stars.

I have enjoyed reading a number of the Very Short Introduction books, but this one didn't live up to expectations. The message was not as clear and concise as I had expected. Maybe it's the subject matter at hand that doesn't suite the short format or maybe I expected it to be more easily defined - despite being well aware that identity is not so easily pegged down.It didn't convince and I'm afraid it will not be on my recommendation list.

This is one of those nebulous books that seem to go round and round without making me feel any more enlightened at the end of it. The philosophy of identity from this approach isn’t my thing at all. It’s written in a clear unbogged style, so if you are approaching this from an essay cramming angle it may be more of benefit to you. From the series of incredibly small pocket books. The printed text is a bit over small for my eyes.