Most people have a story to tell about a remarkable coincidence that in some instances changed the course of their lives. These uncanny occurrences have been variously interpreted as evidence of divine influence, fate, or the collective unconscious. Less common are explanations that explore the social situations and personal preoccupations of the individuals who place the most weight on coincidences. Drawing on a variety of coincidence stories, renowned anthropologist Michael Jackson builds a case for seeing them as allegories of separation and loss-revealing the hope of repairing sundered lives, reconnecting estranged friends, reuniting distant kin, closing the gap between people and their gods, and achieving a sense of emotional and social connectedness with others in a fragmented world.
About the AuthorMichael Jackson is an anthropologist, poet, and fiction writer. He teaches at Harvard Divinity School, and his most recent books include
Critique of Identity Thinking,
The Paper Nautilus, and
The Work of Art.
Book InformationISBN 9780520379961
Author Michael JacksonFormat Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint University of California PressPublisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 318g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 15mm