Seeing Others

How to Redefine Worth in a Divided World

By: Michèle Lamont

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer

Brought to you by Penguin.

From internationally renowned sociologist Michèle Lamont, a game-changing argument about what we value and why

How do we measure our self-worth?

For many of us, it signifies accomplishment, self-reliance, and wealth. Decades of neoliberalism have driven our definition of success. Yet, as we have amassed more achievements, we have been overwhelmed and overworked in a world of growing inequality. Should we start judging others, and ourselves, differently?

In this capstone work, acclaimed sociologist Michèle Lamont argues that it is time to move our focus from having to being. We will only heal ourselves by the power of recognition: by rendering others visible and valued. By drawing on nearly forty years of research and interviews, as well as new interviews with Gen Z, change agents, and cultural icons who intentionally practice and promote recognition, she shows how new narratives are essential to shifting our metrics of success to focus on respect and dignity. Seeing Others fills a gaping hole left by recent economic and psychological thinking, with its focus on nudging, grit, and constant striving, offering a powerful, sociological alternative.

This book is a clarion call: it strikes at the heart of our struggles and illuminates an inclusive path forward.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Michèle Lamont (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

'Harvard sociologist Michèle Lamont...unpacks how 'recognition chains' work in politics, culture, and in our day-to-day interactions with others. Seeing Others will change the way you see the world, and yourself.' (Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of Strangers In Their Own Land)

'Michèle Lamont is one of the most prominent analysts of culture and identity in the world today. In this new book she brings her expertise as scholar to a new role as public intellectual. She shows that asking how we see others and how they see themselves has important implications for inequality and for practical efforts to address that growing scourge of contemporary society.' (Robert D. Putnam, author of The Upswing)

'Michèle Lamont's book Seeing Others is so important for this time we're living through - as our country grapples with changing ideas of 'who matters' and how we can move to a more equitable and understanding nation. Her extensive research encompasses the intersectionality that is the key to making a better world for us all.' (Joey Soloway, creator of Transparent)