Is the distinction between “real” and “fake” as clear-cut as we think?
“Historian Pyne (Seven Skeletons) offers a thoughtful examination of what it is to be fake...Pyne's well-written survey illuminates the ramifications of various types of fakery, even while showing how murky the concept of what is fake can get.” ―Publishers Weekly
”Genuine history smartly explored.” — Kirkus Reviews
”Pyne asks us to set aside our hankering for what we fondly imagine to be authentic and accept instead that the world is full of “tangible, physical things that have been made, unmade and remade any number of ways throughout history’.” — TLS
“Lively, thought-provoking, and consistently surprising, this book forces us to think deeper about what authenticity and fakery really mean, at a time when such matters could hardly matter more. Lydia Pyne is the real deal.” ―Ed Yong, science journalist and author of New York Times bestseller I Contain Multitudes
“In turns thought-provoking and entertaining, Genuine Fakes is a vital book in a world of fake news and the search for authenticity. It is an eloquent and surprising exploration of the objects around us, which compels us to ask where we draw the line between real and fake. Sometimes authenticity is no more important than a good story.” ―Kate Wiles, Senior Editor, History Today
“Genuine Fakes is full of fascinating stories about what Pyne shows is the thin and permeable line between real and fake in many more areas than I thought possible to combine so interestingly and gracefully. The book is packed with the human foibles that leave us vulnerable to the fake when our dreams are too big to be contained in the real.” ―Erin Thompson, Professor of Art Crime, City University of New York
“In this fascinating, interdisciplinary study, Lydia Pyne challenges us to reflect on the social factors that inspire the creation of replicas, simulations, and forgeries. Ambitious in scope and engagingly written, Genuine Fakes is an authentically wonderful read.” ―Benjamin Gross, Vice President for Research and Scholarship, Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology
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