Michel Foucault was one of the most influential thinkers in the contemporary world, someone whose work has affected the teaching of half a dozen disciplines ranging from literary criticism to the history of criminology. But of his many books, not one offers a satisfactory introduction to the entire complex body of his work. The Foucault Reader was commissioned precisely to serve that purpose.
Politics, Philosophy, Culture - Interviews and Other Writings, 1977-1984
This is great for general reading on Foucault. It does a great job tying together a lot of the things Foucault tried to say in his books. If you're a policy debater trying to become a Foucault buff, get this book. The chapter on critique does an excellent job drawing the distinction between criticism and transformation.
Clare O'Farrell is to be congratulated on producing a truly magnificent book on the work of Michel Foucault. There are details, insights and observations that will engage the specialist and there is an extensive documentation of Foucault's output. If there is a more comprehensive book on Foucault's work I have yet to see it. I anticipate those teaching and taking courses on Foucault's work will find Clare O'Farrell's book to be an invaluable resource.
