CURATION Paperback – 1 June 2017

Good read... highly recommended for reading. Author has very well captured vast set of information in the book.

Bhaskar is carving out something of a niche for himself, dealing with important problems which touch us all directly, but in an entertaining fashion, replete with insights that surprise and enlighten. ‘Curation’ hits the jackpot in this respect, as Bhaskar grapples with an issue that, as he explains clearly, is shaping our lives whether we are aware of it or not, and fleshes out his argument by drawing on examples as diverse as the library of Alexandria, jam, modern art, a shopping mall in Hong Kong, architecture and Blockbuster Video amongst many many more.The thrust of the book is that in the age of plenty, ‘curation’ and the ‘curator’ are no longer confined to the art gallery, rather the successful companies of our day rely on curation to enhance user experience, and we are curators of our own identity to a much larger extent than was previously possible. Bhaskar is not looking to judge whether curation is good or bad, and neatly sidesteps whether in the age of ‘third wave coffee’ and ‘the hipster’ things have gone too far, but instead is urging us to take stock of how curation is shaping our everyday lives so that we’re better equipped to adapt to this brave new world.Bhaskar’s lucid style makes this a joy to read, and will give you more than a few interesting facts to sprinkle into future dinner party conversation.Essential reading for all.

The book contains some interesting stories and thoughts, but most of them are not about selection in a world of excess.

Well-written and well researched, with plenty of contemporary examples. I was not quite convinced by the word 'selection' in the subtitle: yes there are almost too many choices out there and showcasing a few outstanding items is one way of cutting down the list to manageable numbers. I once put a job advert out and had a flood of applications, with very many perfectly qualified: the only way to proceed was to establish some criteria for rejection and then pick names out of a hat so that the first x who passed the criteria were called for to interview. We did not "curate" the whole list! Too much choice forces selection to become arbitrary yet good enough.The author debates in the text how far to stretch the word "curation", and I felt it comes quite close to the concept of "fashion" (not just clothes, but intellectual, aesthetic and even financial trends): what is fashion? Ultimately it is whatever a few authoritative and influential people decree it to be at any time! And the motivation for following fashion is to reduce career risk: the shopkeeper cannot afford to get too far out of line.I liked the author's suggestion that curation ought to include an element of moral or aesthetic purpose: people curate a collection because they care; otherwise curating one's Facebook page becomes a euphemism for narcissism!

Well written review of how we cope with information and life overload. #firstworldproblem acknowledged. Tips for modern companies; we are all curatord

Great book, still reading but has some really thought provoking sections.