Paul Rabinow's study of space and society, power and knowledge in France from the 1830s through the 1930s uses tools from anthropology, philosophy, and cultural criticism to make fascinating connections between diverse protagonists and domains. In each of these domains - ranging from medicine to the layout of colonial cities - Rabin ow describes the creation of norms and the search for forms adequate for understanding and regulating what became known as modern society. He also focuses on an unexplored middle ground between the masters of high culture and the experiences of ordinary life, which he calls "middling modernism."