Book samples The Curious Sign | Page 25

CS-2016-txt-ART.indd 23 people you’d expect would receive an announcement of seismic significance. So why do the angels appear to them? Why shepherds? But then there was another issue. In our modern culture, we love to froth and bubble over things that are impressive. It’s how we are as a society and there is no point denying it. We like to know about impressive people. We are obsessed with people whose looks are impressive—the Angelina Jolies, the Cate Blanchetts, the Hugh Jackmans and those innumerable Hemsworth brothers. We just love them, we want to look like them, we want to move like them and dress like them. We want to be them. But we also want to know about people whose intellect is impressive. After all, ‘smart’ is now the new ‘sexy’… it’s the new ‘cool’. Make room mindless, muscle-bound jock and say “Hello!” shapeless IT nerd, home-brewing and latte-sipping chess whizz. How else can you explain the ‘hipster with a little dog’ phenomenon? AN UNEXPECTED SIGN 23 Review copy only—not for distribution. Issue two: Prestige 12/09/2016 1:02 PM