Good News

Maxeiner and Miersch comment
on everyday madness

wjs-Verlag
Berlin 2008
ISBN 978-3-937989-39-6
208 pages,
18 euros

Summary

Dirk Maxeiner and Michael Miersch take their readers on an amusing tour of everyday life in Germany. With unfailing clarity and common sense, pointing out fixations and cultural icons, they explore what it feels like to live in Germany today. Where does the fondness for the Golden Retriever and the polar bear, Che Guevarra and the peace flag come from? Why are many Germans so concerned about wind turbines and Waldorf schools, erogenous and GMO-free zones? The commentators’ views on social trends never cease to surprise. They dissect the static world view of cultural pessimists and doomsday prophets and take a stand against out-of-control state regulation. They are advocates of progress and change and always prefer a humorous punch line over false respect. Boldly heckling, they disagree with the precious consensus. Maxeiner and Miersch have a strong dislike for people avoiding conflicts, fearing risks and stubbornly trying to preseve the status quo – or people who lack a sense of humour. Good News is based on a selection of the best weekly columns by Maxeiner & Miersch published in the daily “Die Welt”.

“These two jesters can sense the wind, a storm and a dead calm”, Wolf Biermann wrote about the M&M columns. “They are bold, cheeky and deep.” “They are among the best commentators in The Federal Republic. Ethical questions are always presented indirectly and totally free of bigotry. Nevertheless, I would call them ethicists”, opined Rainer Hank, business editor of Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. And even Angela Merkel offered: “I enjoy what those two write.”

Reviews

"The authors always strike the right note and are never patronizing know alls. This is one of the reasons why one enjoys being led on a tour of everyday German life by them. We haven’t had such good and ecouraging reporting in a long time."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

"In their texts, they disagree with nearly all the stereotypes so common in public debates and landtag level disputes today."
HR-Online

"At last, something positive for us to read."
Bild-Zeitung