All Ears

Year 1999
Pages 146

Worth buying if: You enjoy short, reflective nonfiction that rewards close attention.

Skip it if: You want exhaustive academic study or empirical research on attention.

Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9781887128339. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.

If this page helped you decide, purchasing through the Amazon button above supports UPB Books at no extra cost to you and helps us continue improving the site. Thanks for visiting today.

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Affiliate disclosure: purchases made through links on this site may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.

Summary

Dennis Cooper's All Ears offers a short, provocative meditation on listening and attention across everyday life and art, blending personal observation with cultural insight in a spare 146-page package.

Why this book now

In an age of distraction, this concise exploration of attention feels timely for readers rethinking how they engage with media and each other.

30-second preview

Two quick cards, fifteen seconds each.

00:00

1-sentence hook

A compact, curiosity-driven look at listening—how paying attention reshapes what we know and who we are.

Card 1 of 2

Best for readers who...

Good fit if you want...

  • You enjoy short, reflective nonfiction that rewards close attention.
  • You appreciate cultural criticism delivered in a personal, pared-down voice.
  • If atmosphere matters, the characters show feeling without grand gestures.

Maybe skip if...

  • You want exhaustive academic study or empirical research on attention.
  • You prefer long-form narratives or plot-driven books.
  • You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.

Mood / Vibe Tags

meditative observant concise slightly experimental Quick read

Decided it fits?

Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9781887128339

Worth buying if: You enjoy short, reflective nonfiction that rewards close attention.

Skip it if: You want exhaustive academic study or empirical research on attention.

Buy This Edition on Amazon

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Reader guide

Cues to help you decide faster.

Reading commitment

Light Short sit-downs

At 146 pages, it’s a brief, high-focus read you can finish in a few sittings or savor slowly between other books.

What stands out here

This Soft Skull edition emphasizes the book’s compact essays and the author’s distinctive voice—ideal for readers seeking concentrated cultural riffs.

Best way to approach it

Read slowly and reflectively: pause between sections to notice how the observations land, and let short passages resonate rather than speed through them.

Exact edition: ISBN-13 9781887128339

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.