A Dictionary of Cultural and Critical Theory, 2nd Edition

“Such reservations apart, there is much of value here and students of literature, cultural studies, philosophy, and related studies will find this a useful resource.”  (Reference Reviews, 2012)

"The first aspect of "added value" in the second edition of A Dictionary of Cultural and Critical Theory lies in the fact that this dictionary is written and edited by experts. There are some world-class scholars among the contributors here, and many of the longer entries are insightful as well as challenging (Simon Frith's and Christopher Norris's, among others, stand out, as do many by the editors themselves: Jessica Rae Barbera on Elaine Scarry, for example)." (Times Literary Supplement, 6 January 2012)

"Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students." (Choice, 1 May 2011)

"Thoughtfully structured and containing an impressive array of generally well-written entries, this book will be a welcome addition to the shelves of many reference collections." Reference Reviews

Amazon.co.uk reviews of first edition:

"This book is a must for any who has an interest in Cultural Studies firstly, but secondly any other subject area within the field: psychoanalysis, cinema studies, feminism - it's all in there! Each "dictionary" entry is concise and understandable with cross referencing to offer a complete all round knowledge! Good to point you in the right direction for an essay or simply to help make sense of the reading for your course!"

"If there has ever been a must in Cultural and/or Contemporary studies- this is it. I started studying Contemporary Cultural Studies in Germany this Summer and a fellow student gave me the advice to buy this book. Since then I' ve read it from cover to cover about 2 times! It doesn't only cover the essentials, but is also crosslinked very well outlineing the development of Cultural science. Besides all this it is also written in a manner that you can understand everything reading it only once!

Thanks to Michael Payne and his book my studies have become more profund and easier at the same time!"

Amazon.com review of first edition:

"I strongly reccomend this book to anyone working in the fields of cultural and communications theory. The explanations are straightforward and accurate. The cross-referencing is exhaustive and well laid out. The first dictionary I ever read cover to cover!!!"

Praise for the previous edition

"The liveliness of style and variety of subject-matter mean that Payne has succeeded where many have failed, namely in bringing the 'pleasure of the text' to some of the most difficult and complex writings of our age."
—The Review of English Studies

"Thoughtfully structured and containing an impressive array of generally well-written entries, this book will be a welcome addition to the shelves of many reference collections."
—Reference Reviews