Is the 21st century leading us toward enlightenment—or straight into a cultural cul-de-sac?

In The A to Z of Postmodern Life, Ziauddin Sardar takes readers on a witty, incisive tour of the ideas, fads, and obsessions that define our still-unfolding century. With essays that are equal parts sharp analysis and playful humor, Sardar dissects everything from advertising and shopping to toys, hype, and the dizzying phenomenon of channel-zapping. Drawing on personal experience, keen observation, and anecdote, he reveals how postmodernism seeps into everyday life—not as an abstract theory, but as the framework shaping what we consume, how we behave, and what we believe.

Challenging yet entertaining, this collection invites us to read the hidden codes of our times and ask the uncomfortable question: are we navigating toward progress, or being lured up a dangerously dark alley by the glitter of global culture?