Selfie: How the West Became Self-Obsessed (Paperback)

'Selfie illuminates much of what feels peculiar about the world in 2017...This could be a pessimistic book. In fact, its insights are timely and welcome' - Richard Godwin, Sunday Times

'As entertaining as it is provocative and disquieting . . . His breezy prose is bedded down in intensive research, much of it immersive . . . his closing thoughts can't help but be comforting' - Mail on Sunday 

'Storr has done huge amounts of research for this book . . . he conveys it with a gifted lightness of touch that is wry and funny (his investigative mode has been compared to those of Jon Ronson and Louis Theroux, with which I wouldn't disagree)' - The Times 

'Thoughtful and engaging . . . wonderfully funny . . . Storr's cultural history is fascinating' - Guardian 

'...an excellent antidote to time-wasting on social media' - Financial Times 

'Selfie is profound, uncomfortable, joyful, frustrating, fascinating, fragmented, inspired, heartbreaking, and occasionally riven with internal contradictions. Just like a person, really.' - Helen Lewis, New Statesman 

'Brilliant . . . There aren't many authors who can range so confidently across disciplines and, if you go with the flow, you'll encounter some fascinating nuggets along the way . . . inspiring' - Rohan Silva, Evening Standard 

'A hellishly good book about the new hell: ourselves' - Daily Express

'A fascinating, timely exploration of our drive for status, perfection and self-esteem, and a consideration of where such obsessions lead' - Esquire 

'Will Storr crafts an entertaining history of the self, from Narcissus to Kardashian to Trump' - Observer 

'A hugely important subject, and a compelling one . . . always entertainingly delivered thanks to Storr's rich reporting. More than that, by taking a hammer to the sacred idea of the self - by putting culture back in the picture - Storr provides a much-needed corrective to our understanding of who we are. For that reason alone, Selfie should be welcomed.' - Literary Review 

'A timely, inspiring book about self-obsession in modern life' - Harper's Bazaar 

'A broad-ranging history of the western self, from the age of Aristotle to the age of Instagram . . . Storr builds a convincing case that free will is an illusion, change is impossible and our entire political system is built on a lie. But he's funny with it' - Richard Godwin, Evening Standard 

'There are some real insights about how stories, social rules, cultural norms and role models affect our attitude to ourselves . . . because he puts it into a long, historical perspective, even nitwits with selfie sticks become a bit more interesting to think about . . . a good read' - Libby Purves, Daily Mail