Zizek said he hated this cover: it looks like he does not care about the destruction behind him, or suggests that he had something to do with it. It seems nihilist. The book is actually about a point in our very recent history that seems extraordinary, looking back. It was a short pause in political alienation and disengagement. Many people, around the world, suddenly felt that it was worth trying to make things better. And they actually tried.

This is not the most usual book in Zizek's bibliohraphy, since it is very dated. But the year he refers to is worth remembering and analising. What eventually made the liberation movements fade? What was different in the first place, that inspired people to demand freedom and democracy?

Somewhere in the last decade, Zizek became Zizek.

A nice quick read from Zizek. Kind of his version of Badiou's Rebirth of History, which means it's got a lot of the same ideas, but presented with more movie and TV references and in a rather more scattershot way.

A nice palate-cleanser post-Christmas, and a great way to kick off 2014.