French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. Labasse, The Value of Information. Motors and Constraints of the Market of Ideas
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

Review published in Acta Fabula (May 2021, vol. 22, no. 5): Christophe Cosker, "Discursive Value(s): Homo pertinensis in the Market of Ideas."

The Value of Information. Motors and Constraints of the Market of Ideas

Bertrand Labasse

University of Ottawa Press, 2020.

420 pages

39.95 $ CAD

ISBN: 9782760331563

Why do the messages we like appeal to us? Behind this simple question lies one of the oldest theoretical problems in communication, yet also one of the most critical in the contemporary tumult of cultural, political, media, and entertainment content.

This research tackles the challenge from a fresh angle through an interdisciplinary approach, offering a highly stimulating discussion of the cognitive and social forces that drive the production and reception of diverse messages—whether trivial or scholarly—competing for public attention.

The clarity of its structure allows readers to follow step by step the journey of a captivating inquiry conducted over more than twenty years across discursive contexts as varied as journalism, literature, and scientific and medical communication.

Along a methodical path where rigor never excludes humor, the book reveals how similar psychological and normative factors—long known but rarely brought together until now—jointly operate and globally contribute to shaping, for better or for worse, the hyper-communicative society in which we live.

Table of Contents

Preface: To Understand the Media (At Last?)

Introduction: Boarding a "Grand Mystery"

Part One – Why Does the Content We Like Appeal to Us?

1. On a Few Convulsions of the Discursive Market

2. The Relevance of Discourses

3. The Appeal of Simple Things

4. The Troubled Game of Cognitive Effect

5. Images Filling the Mind

6. Triumph and Rout of Homo Pertinensis

7. The Wanderings of Propriety

8. At the Crossroads of Values

9. On the Stalls of the Discursive Market

10. "Free" Ideas in a Free Henhouse

Part Two – Occurrences

1. What Translations Betray

2. Rhetoric of the Puppy

3. The Mystery of கோயிலின் Inverted Pyramid

4. The Art of Lexical Agonism

5. Suffering and the Bitterness of Critique

6. On the Powers of Narrative

7. Martial Virtues of Salacious Images

Conclusion

References

Bertrand Labasse examines how diverse cultural, political, and media messages compete for public attention across various discursive contexts. The volume addresses the cognitive and social forces driving both the production and the reception of content, moving across fields such as journalism, literature, and scientific communication. By bringing together psychological and normative factors, the study traces how these elements jointly contribute to shaping contemporary hyper-communicative societies. Readers interested in communication theory, media studies, and contemporary cultural dynamics may find this research relevant to their inquiries.

The inquiry reflects long-standing theoretical problems in communication studies by investigating why certain messages naturally appeal to audiences. The text combines methodological rigor with a structured approach, allowing readers to follow an investigation spanning over two decades of observations. While engaging with topics ranging from journalism to scientific communication, the work highlights the complex mechanisms governing discursive exchange. Readers interested in communication practices will encounter a sustained reflection on the market of ideas and its underlying constraints.