Abstract

Thomas Frank coined the term 'the conquest of cool'. This book shows how this conquest is at the heart of the dynamics of contemporary capitalism.

Jim McGuigan argues that 'cool capitalism' incorporates disaffection into capitalism itself, absorbing rebellion and neutralising opposition to the present system of culture and society.

The book explores a huge variety of cultural examples, from the sleek images of mainstream advertising, to the fringes of artistic production, offering a vigourous critique of our understanding of subversion, resistance and counter-culturalism.

Is there is still any space left for rebellion against the seductive power of the free market economy?
'At last the book that critical students of cultural studies have been waiting for! Asks us to reconsider the power of modern consumer capitalism and its ability to reshape everyday life'
Dr Nick Stevenson, Reader in Sociology & Social Policy, University of Nottingham
'Takes us to the dark side of post-industrial economies, the side where exploited labour, disorganised infrastructure, and cultural hyperbole are the terms of trade'
Toby Miller, author of Makeover Nation: The United States of Reinvention