{"product_id":"9780547577210","title":"Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit","description":"\u003cb\u003eA look at the delights—and dangers—of gossip, from a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e–bestselling, “erudite writer, gifted with rare insight and a wry sense of humor” (\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gossip is no trivial matter. In this enlightening and entertaining study, the author of \u003ci\u003eSnobbery\u003c\/i\u003e takes a look at a human activity that may be looked down upon, but nevertheless plays a persistent role in our society—and therefore, must be taken seriously.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Joseph Epstein, who admits to indulging in this activity himself from time to time, serves up mini-biographies of history’s famous gossips, and makes a powerful case that gossip has morphed from its old-fashioned best—clever, mocking, a great private pleasure—to a corrosive, destructive new version, thanks to the reach of the mass media and the Internet. This is an erudite and witty read from “a master observer of humanity’s foibles” (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review).\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Epstein defines categories of gossip, from personal to celebrity, workplace, and political, and discusses how gossip ‘enforces a community’s norms’ or, conversely, helps foster tolerance. . . . In his briskly erudite, zestfully original, and provokingly enjoyable anatomy of gossip, Epstein revels in the risky collusion of gossip within shared worlds and resoundingly condemns media-disseminated gossip that diminishes our ability to ascertain or value the truth.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Houghton Mifflin Harcourt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47180831359216,"sku":"9780547577210","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780547577210_p0.jpg?v=1769896618","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780547577210","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}