In this brilliantly conceived exploration of doomsaying and revelation, Mark Kingwell argues that the brink tendencies manifested by contemporary popular culture—the popularity of body piercing, for example, or the proliferation of miracles—are, in fact, inextricably linked to the impending fin de siècle.

One of Maclean's top ten non-fiction books of 1996

Mark Kingwell is a professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto and a contributing editor of Harper’s Magazine. He is the author of eleven books of political and cultural theory, including most recently, Concrete Reveries: Consciousness and the City (2008) and Opening Gambits: Essays on Art and Philosophy (2008). He is the recipient of the Spitz Prize in political theory, National Magazine Awards for both essays and columns, and in 2000 was awarded an honorary DFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design for contributions to theory and criticism.

Patrick Turmel is an assistant professor of philosophy at Université Laval. His main research interests are in moral and political philosophy. He has published articles in ethics and on issues pertaining to cities and justice. He is also co-editor of Penser les institutions (Presses de l’Université Laval).

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