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Rating: 
Summary: And A Supplement!
Review: As lucid and concise an exposition as you are likely to find on Derrida and deconstruction. Norris covers an amazing amount of material in this brief book, mostly chronologically (the Sophists put in an appearance along with, of course, fairly extensive treatment of Nietzsche and Heidegger) though with occasionally necessary digressions. Derrida's central concept (to speak metaphysically) of 'supplementarity' is clearly explained, and the sections on Paul De Man and his 'theory of rhetoric' are especially good. Norris goes to great pains to distinguish 'philosophical' deconstruction from the more stylistically 'literary' varieties as propagated by Geoffrey Hartman, J Hillis Miller et al. While clearly sympathetic - - even at times somewhat defensive - - toward deconstruction, Norris is very even-handed in his treatment of the subject, originally concluding the book with a chapter on 'Dissenting Voices' such as John Ellis' cogently-articulated AGAINST DECONSTRUCTION. Originally published in 1982, this later edition has a supplementary (!) 'Afterword' in which Norris mitigates some of his (as he would have it) understatements on speech-act theory and the misunderstandings over what deconstruction 'really' does; that is, the differences between post-modern 'destructive' and 'deconstructive' performance and criticism, using source materials throughout to bolster his points.
Rating:
Summary: Great Summary
Review: While you won't fully understand what is going on in deconstructionism after reading this book, you'll probably be closer than most. Deconstructionism is probably the most misunderstood "thing" around. Norris provides an incredibly fair and balanced presentation of the basic issues and main misreadings of the people involved. If you want a basic overview of what is going on that doesn't attempt to reduce everything to pragmatism or relativism, then this is the place to start. This was the first book that made me go, "ah, I at least understand what the problems are."My only complaint is that I wish Norris spent more time on Heidegger and the roots of deconstructionism. However given how complex Heidegger is, this is understandable. After reading Norris I'd suggest going back to something like _Between the Blinds: A Derrida Reader_. He'll make a whole lot more sense after reading Norris.
Rating:
Summary: Great Summary
Review: While you won't fully understand what is going on in deconstructionism after reading this book, you'll probably be closer than most. Deconstructionism is probably the most misunderstood "thing" around. Norris provides an incredibly fair and balanced presentation of the basic issues and main misreadings of the people involved. If you want a basic overview of what is going on that doesn't attempt to reduce everything to pragmatism or relativism, then this is the place to start. This was the first book that made me go, "ah, I at least understand what the problems are." My only complaint is that I wish Norris spent more time on Heidegger and the roots of deconstructionism. However given how complex Heidegger is, this is understandable. After reading Norris I'd suggest going back to something like _Between the Blinds: A Derrida Reader_. He'll make a whole lot more sense after reading Norris.
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