Author:Nick Barham
'I wanted to discover what young people are really up to. To see how far they've come - and where they think they're going. Today's young generation don't want reality. They want disconnection - a world of novelty, velocity and volume. A world without implications or responsibilities, where your personality is defined by how you dress, who you listen to, and which kind of celebrity you want to be. Their values and behaviour are changing at an unprecedented rate. They are not inheriting our culture - they're moving into a new improved version, with a permanent soundtrack (that you don't like), a new language (that you don't understand) and a radical morality (that you don't accept).' Nick Barham
Confronting crime, underage sex, fame obsession, violence, ambition, learning and friendship, Nick Barham's compelling investigation finds that this disconnection from what adults understand to be substantial or real is creating a radical new youth culture.
He dashes all over the place, like a search engine set to random, like an ad exec brainstorming... It's full of fun
—— Daily TelegraphA truly shocking book
—— IndependentIt is refreshing to find a book that attempts to understand and enjoy the passionate technicolour diversity of modern youth culture
—— Daily TelegraphSure, some of it's shocking, but it's also positive and hopeful, too
—— ElleBarham is firmly on the side of the kids... His interviewees talk freely to him about taking shed-loads of E and ketamine (originally a horse anaesthetic)... He sees people wearing T-Shirts that say "Jesus is a c**t", watches Jackass, surfs porn, and visits the bondage nightclub Torture Garden to see people having sex in public...Barham muses provocatively
—— GuardianInfluential and eloquent.
—— Jewish ChroniclePerhaps the most significant thinking since Freud and Adler.
—— The American Journal of PsychiatryRemarkable...It changed my life and became a part of all that I live and all that I teach.
—— Susan Jeffers, author of Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway and Embracing Uncertaintya great book...if you need to be reminded that there is value to be discovered in experiences when they seem nothing but pointless and painful, and choices to be made when you think you have none, I'd recommend it
—— Lauren LaverneOne wishes this book could get into the hands of all the suffering children who need it
—— Washington PostThis story of unfathomable child abuse is told with remarkable wit, compassion, and courage
—— Augusten Burroughs, author of Running with ScissorsHighly articulate … Her memories are real, not recovered
—— The Times