Press on The Great Leap Inward:

He sketches large movements in history with a steady hand. The result is an idiosyncratic, original discourse. Time and again, he knows how to set a broad erudition in service of a critical curiosity and to translate that into interesting, incisive essays. A breath of fresh air. - De Groene Amsterdammer

My thoughts returned constantly and inadvertently to Thijs Lijster’s The Great Leap Inward and will do so for a while. Lijsters demonstrates with this book that he is one of the brightest and most broadly-oriented cultural critics in the Netherlands, without at any point sacrificing carefulness, coherence and sophistication. With restrained rage and disbelief, he dissects our relationships with work, consumption, design, the network society, the neighbour, economy, politics and still more. Lijster’s unwavering intellectual activism is inspiring and encouraging. ‒ Boekblad

Thijs Lijster meticulously analyses art, detectives and advertisements to conclude that humanity is turning inward. (…) Fascinating. Lijster pleads for more debate, more reflection, more broad perspectives. We need to shift away from the hip commercial language towards a critical language. Those who agree will find many new stimulating observations in Lijster’s book. And those who do not agree will find substantial material for a robust debate. – de Volkskrant ****

The Great Leap Inward is as much a calling card as a declaration of principle from an ambitious essayist. - Trouw****

This bundle contains ten in-depth, critical essays that you are sincerely recommended. Lijster’s cultural analysis is well written and penetrating. - Dagblad van het Noorden