America

This is a fascinating philosophical description of America from the point of view of an outsider--in this case, a leading postmodern philosopher. Focusing on NYC, LA, Salt Lake City, and a number of other major U.S. cities, Baudrillard makes intriguing observations about what sets us apart from our European counterpoints: what we value, why we do what we do, etc. While incredibly deep and insightful, the book is a great coffee table piece--easy to pick up, read a chapter, and set back down again. Beautifully written, very accessible, and absolutely fascinating.