Michael Köckritz Coolness

"This fun book may not be specifically dedicated to photography, but it's an unusual and enjoyable read - and, obviously, very cool." - Black And White Photography Cool. Whether it's a cool guy, cool sunglasses, or a cool film - the attribute 'cool', which until the early '90s was still the definitive identifier of rebellious youth culture speech, is now encountered globally and across all social classes in an almost inflationary manner. The adjective 'cool' is now regarded as a vague paraphrase for something positively casual and is particularly fond of offering itself to us with an aura of self-confident modernity and stylistic confidence. Unfortunately, whoever says 'cool' today often just means a fashion word, representative of who or what is currently hip and what is not. Everything that is somehow hip, trendy or 'in' is called 'cool'. Everything should, and everyone wants, to be cool. On the one hand, 'coolness' is an empty buzzword, on the other hand, it is a self-confident, late-modern individual attitude and behavioural strategy with rebellious roots against a twisted and unjust world.