{"product_id":"mr-zeds-reflections-by-hans-magnus-enzensberger-9780857428219","title":"Mr Zed’s Reflections","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAny new book by poet, essayist, writer, and translator Hans Magnus Enzensberger, one of the most influential and internationally renowned German intellectuals, is cause for notice, and \u003ci\u003eMr Zed's Reflections\u003c\/i\u003e is no exception. Every afternoon for almost a year, a plump man named Mr Zed comes to the same spot in the city park and engages passers-by with quick-witted repartee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThose who pass ask, who is this man? A wisecracker, a clown, a belligerent philosopher? Many shake their heads and move on; others listen to him, engage with him, and, again and again, end up at the same place. He doesn't write anything down, but his listeners often take notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith subversive energy and masterful brevity, Mr Zed undermines arrogance, megalomania, and false authority. A determined speaker who doesn't care for ambitions, he forces topics that others would rather keep to themselves. Reluctant to trust institutions and seeing absolutely nothing as 'non-negotiable', he admits mistakes and does away with judgment. He is no mere ventriloquist dummy for his creator - he is too stubborn for that. At the end of the season, when it becomes too cold and uncomfortable in the park, he disappears, never to be seen again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCollected in this thought-provoking and unique work are the considerations and provocations of this squat, park-bench philosopher, giving us a volume of truths and conversations that are clear-cut, sceptical, and fiercely illuminating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Enzensberger's Mr. Zed, part teacher and part wisecracker, represents a plea for reasonableness, the deflation of extremes, the admission of folly, and a return to the middle path. With humour, variety, nimble turns, and the terse cadences of his prose, Enzensberger has created a thoughtful entertainment that gleefully grates against the headlines and antagonisms of our global news and media culture - as well as against the cultivation of grievances.'\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003ci\u003eOn the Seawall\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Enzensberger is a confident old master who does this sort of thing very well, and \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMr. Zed's Reflections\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e is very entertaining. Along the way, Enzensberger manages also to be consistently - if very gently - thought-provoking, making for an eminently worthwhile read that is also very good fun.'\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003ci\u003eComplete Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46712925126892,"sku":"9780857428219","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7207723482493.jpg?v=1754310017","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/products\/mr-zeds-reflections-by-hans-magnus-enzensberger-9780857428219","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}