Introducing Modernism, Third Edition (Introducing)

The "Introducing..." books are a great way to start exploring a subject without a large investment in time or money. They outline a topic in a wide breadth without going into too much depth, but offer pointers and suggestions for further study. If the subject is interesting, go find other resources on it. If not, pick up another potentially interesting "Introducing..." book.

Introducing Modernism covers the rise and reasons for the existence of modernism, which is really an umbrella term for a number of various movements and "-isms" that arose as a reaction to the new, modern conditions of life that followed the Industrial Revolution (the conditions of modernity). Innovations like rapid transit and cinema changed the way people related to time and space. Large numbers of people were moving from rural lifestyles to the big cities to get jobs in factories, causing them to feel lost in the anonymity of the large city crowds.

Modernist reaction to these changes took various forms including Futurism, Dadaism, Cubism, atonal music and more, which are described in outline. The tendency for modernists to be avant garde and elitist is also explained. Perhaps most importantly, Introducing Modernism also explores the question of whether modernism has ended (and if so, when?). With the recent renovation of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan, this seems a relevant question. Perhaps one that "Introducing Postmodernism" can help to answer.

This is an excellent book to get a broad view of Modernism, what it means, when did it begin, etc. The format of the "Introducing" books makes for fun and informative reading. This is not a book for dumbies it is just put together in a way that makes it easy to learn. I suggest getting it with Introducing PostModernism.