What do vintage fashion, the Slow Food movement, the sudden explosion of book clubs and an exhibition of 200 human cadavers all have in common? According to David Boyle, they’re all evidence of ‘New Realism’, which he defines as a rejection by Western consumers of marketing spin and a desire for the authentic.

This competing dynamic is illustrated by wacky forays into the fake, like Boyle’s trip to the Japanese theme park, Ocean Dome, in which an entire beach, complete with surf waves and room for 10,000 people, is situated over the road from the Pacific Ocean.

One of the strengths of Authenticity is Boyle’s acknowledgement of the pitfalls of the ‘real’ – using as one example the elite and expensive cachet that organic produce and handmade goods now carry.

Authenticity is a wide-ranging & engaging exploration with fascinating nuggets of cultural trivia, (e.g. remote controls now outnumber people in the USA), which alone make the book worth reading.

By Melanie La’Brooy