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[Michael S Czeiszperger <czei AT webperfcenter.com>]

Linda Watson wrote:

> I've just finished Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicron" and am 2/3s of the
> way through David Brooks's "Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How
> They Got There." I wish I'd read them in the opposite order, though, since
> the folks in Cryptonomicron are SO Bobo!
>
> So, what are your thoughts on (to quote the Amazon review) "the bourgeois
> bohemians--'Bobos' --an unlikely blend of mainstream culture and 1960s-era
> counterculture that, according to David Brooks, represents both America's
> present and future: 'These Bobos define our age. They are the new
> establishment. Their hybrid culture is the atmosphere we all breathe. Their
> status codes now govern social life.'"

Although I haven't read these particular books, books like the Brook's "Bobos 
in Paradise"
are one of my pet peeves. It is relatively easy to grab a stereotype and make 
fun of it,
because for the most part the stereotypes of made up by the authors.  
Decisions are made
on an individual basis, not by entire demographic groups, and attempts to 
identify and
criticize based on stereotypes are some of the worst examples of human 
behavior. What's
the difference between books criticizing Jews for being greedy, or blacks for 
being
stupid, or the poor for spending all of their money on beer and cigarettes, 
and books in
which everyone who was born in a particular decade or with a certain income 
range are
lambasted?

It is far better to discuss any real issues the author may have, such as 
distribution of
wealth, rather than attempting to create even more stereotypes.

Michael Czeiszperger


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