"It is a final, telling indictment of Theory that Chaouat's critique of it derives more political and moral insight from his detours into novels by Philip Roth, Boualem Sansal, and Michel Houellebecq than from any theoretical text he cites. One might have wished that Theory were today solely a matter of 1980s trivia, at most an exercise in period nostalgia like the television show Stranger Things, albeit scarier and less entertaining. Alas, as Chaouat's book shows, it is still very much with us." Michael Weingrad, Jewish Review of Books "Bruno Chaouat's Is Theory Good for the Jews? is well-written, well-researched, and deeply felt. Chaouat is an established scholar and Professor at the University of Minnesota whose work is at the intersection of French literature and thought and Holocaust and Jewish Studies." --Brett Ashley Kaplan, University of Illinois, H-France Review "In this startlingly lucid book, Bruno Chaouat asks why so many of the important theorists of our time, from Alain Badiou to Judith Butler, have failed to confront the problem of the 'new antisemitism.' A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of contemporary politics and critical theory." Maurice Samuels, Yale University "The reader will be fascinated by the deftness with which Chaouat triangulates such opppositions as Sephardic/Ashkenazi, Israélite/Juif, Jew of the flesh/Jew of the spirit, infinitely expanding Europe/infinitely expanding Jihad.

This is a remarkable book." Professor Jeffrey Mehlman, Boston University 'Chaouat connects the history of postwar philosemitic theory to the history of postcolonial theory with fiery results. Among the book's merits is to have anticipated one way in which, on the fiftieth anniversary of the student uprising and general strike that roiled France in May 1968, the French are taking stock of present tumult against the backdrop of past upheaval.' Dorian Bell, Antisemitism Studies.