CONFUSION IS NEXT – The 2000s: A Decade of Transformation

  • The 2000s – and what they reveal about us: a brilliant portrait of a decade.
  • About a time of change, where today's world began to take shape.

At first, everything seems like fun: beards are oiled, crop tops are in, urbanites embrace the hipster-style, thousands line up for Harry Potter, and Facebook connects a global social network. In the 2000s, Western society revels in maximum self-determination – carefree and at peace.
But the celebration of freedom soon reveals its darker side. TV shows like Big Brother glorify surveillance; identity becomes a performance. From Silicon Valley, a new culture of boundless consumption and monopolization emerges, with Peter Thiel and Elon Musk launching their careers and Donald Trump rising in influence. Meanwhile, open societies come under pressure: 9/11 triggers the War on Terror, the NSU terrorizes Germany, and the 2008 financial crisis shakes the global order.

Jens Balzer takes us on a dazzling journey through the pop culture and politics of the 2000s, tracing the roots of our present moment. The decade is one of euphoric individualism and technological freedom – but also of deep disillusionment, with consequences that still shape our world today.

"You cannot write funnier or smarter than this." Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung

Contact Foreign Rights
  • Publisher: Rowohlt Berlin
  • Release: 19.06.2026
  • ISBN: 978-3-7371-0243-8
  • 272 Pages
  • Author: Jens Balzer

Our covers may only be used free of charge for press, event and promotional purposes in connection with the title or author. In particular, it is not permitted to use the covers in connection with other products, goods or services. The covers may only be reproduced faithfully in their original, unaltered form and must not be edited.

Buchcover von CONFUSION IS NEXT – The 2000s: A Decade of Transformation: Die Nullerjahre – das Jahrzehnt des Umbruchs
Jens Balzer CONFUSION IS NEXT – The 2000s: A Decade of Transformation
Portrait von Jens Balzer
© Roland Owsnitzki
Jens Balzer

Jens Balzer, born in 1969, is a writer and journalist for the culture section of Die Zeit . He was deputy head of culture at the Berliner Zeitung and curates the Popsalon at the Deutsches Theater. His highly acclaimed book Pop was published in 2016, followed by Das entfesselte Jahrzehnt. In 2021, he published High Energy , followed by No Limit  in 2023. His 2024 essay After Woke topped the non-fiction bestseller lists of Die Zeit , ZDF , and DLF Kultur and also appeared on the Spiegel bestseller list.