The Image

This wonderfully provocative book, first published in 1962, introduced the concept of pseudo-events—events like press conferences and presidential debates that are staged solely for the purpose of being reported—as well as the modern definition of celebrity as a person who is known for his well-knownness. Since then, Daniel J. Boorstins prophetic picture of an America engulfed in its own illusions has become a must-read for anybody looking to separate our cultures many deceptions from its few enduring realities.