Queuing for Beginners : The Story of Daily Life From Breakfast to Bedtime

Why do so many people go on about queuing? Have we always been obsessed with traffic? And why do so many of us now eat lunch at our computers – al desko? We spend our days catching buses and trains, writing emails, shopping, queuing...But we know almost nothing about these activities. Exploring the history of these subjects as they come up during a typical day, starting with eating breakfast and ending with sleeping, Joe Moran tells a story about hidden social and cultural changes in Britain since the Second World War. Drawing on his academic research on everyday life, but writing with wit and lucidity for a popular audience, he shows that we know less about ourselves than we think... Why do so many people go on about queuing? Have we always been obsessed with traffic? And why do so many of us now eat lunch at our computers - al desko? Exploring the history of these subjects as they come up during a typical day, this book tells a story about hidden social and cultural changes in Britain since the Second World War. We spend our days emailing, shopping, queuing, lying on sofas - but we know almost nothing about these everyday activities. Exploring these subjects as they occur in a typical day, Joe Moran shows that they have all kinds of hidden histories and meanings