Modernity
‘Modernity as an organizing theoretical-interpretative device has had an untidy and unruly history. No one recognizes this better than Peter Wagner, and no one has done more to unpack, analyse, tame, and repack its meanings and its claims.Modernityextends his previous work significantly, and consolidates his position as simultaneously the most creative and the most sensible of writers of our time on the topic. He is especially to be congratulated for referring to historical and comparative actualities.'Neil Smelser, University of California, Berkeley‘Peter Wagner's work is simply indispensable to those who wish to conceptualize modernity in a truly global way that challenges the Eurocentrism built into all classical writings on the subject. Wagner is a high theorist but his openness to questions of historical diversity remains exemplary.'Dipesh Chakrabarty, The University of Chicago‘Peter Wagner's developing "world sociology of modernity", outlined in this splendid book, is a major advance in his and our thinking about modernity around the world. The book is also an excellent and very readable summary of the current state of the field.'William Outhwaite, Newcastle University