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shayneh's review against another edition
3.0
This book was impressive in its scope and in its vitriol. Nonetheless, when in the conclusion the author just palms off the blame on those pesky attention-ruining devices taking over the world today, I confess myself underwhelmed: exactly how is fundamentalist religion's recent resurgence caused by my smartphone? The author is, again, impressive in her skill but comes across as a crotchety old timer by implying repeatedly that the world would be in better shape if only everyone read the ancient Greeks more. (Note that this may well be the case, but the author does a poor job of showing why that might be.)
A good challenging book, in that it made me confront several ideas that I don't subscribe to, but not one that substantially changed my worldview despite that.
A good challenging book, in that it made me confront several ideas that I don't subscribe to, but not one that substantially changed my worldview despite that.
msjg's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, but I can't claim to be free of my own totally unreasonable thoughts. I'll Susan Jacoby claim that mantle.
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
4.0
This book scared me to death when I read it in 2009 or so; it was all about how intellectuals were viewed with disdain, and how there was really nothing we could do about it. And it's all come so very true.
A screed on the rise of anti-illectualism in the U.S., tying it to the rise of fundamentalism, distrust of 1960s radicals, the lack of a national curriculum, pseudoscience, TV....a dense but readable, and very scary, book.
A screed on the rise of anti-illectualism in the U.S., tying it to the rise of fundamentalism, distrust of 1960s radicals, the lack of a national curriculum, pseudoscience, TV....a dense but readable, and very scary, book.
cutiejoy's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a long book; it took me around three weeks to get through it. It made me depressed about anti-intellectualism in America, but it made me personally want to work through that for myself and try to become more well rounded and cultural. People don't know how to be bored anymore. So many are literally incapable of entertaining themselves; no wonder hobbies not revolving around technology are dying. Also, some of the stats around reading were shocking. This book is old, so they're a little outdated, but it says that in 2002, the National Endowment for the Arts released a survey indicating that fewer than 1/2 of adult Americans had read any work of fiction or poetry in the preceding year, and only 57 percent had read a nonfiction book.
unisonlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This book centres around the dumbing down of American politics, education and culture. It opens by asking us a question regarding the word; folks, and how it has been assimilated in to the political lexicon in the US. Can we imagine Abraham Lincoln, in all his oratorical might informing people that his government would be “of the folks, by the folks, for the folks”. There have been some hugely important shifts with regards teaching in the US and it is suggested that academics 100 years ago would be appalled that the same debate regarding evolution versus creationism is still within the academic zeitgeist. The advent of infotainment takes a bashing, and there is somewhat of the luddite about certain arguments here, but the fundamental point remains that video technology and modern embellishments on culture have done little to push the boundaries of thinking. As TV’s become baby sitters and the internet an educational, yet unreliable tool, the educational health of a nation is shrouded in a deepening malaise. Only with the coming of Barack Obama’s presidency have we seen something like a return to the soaring political oratory of Roosevelt, Kennedy and Lincoln, which provides some hope to the author, but not enough. It is also not enough to let Americans off the hook and say they have been hoodwinked by various facets of the media. Americans have achieved the dumbed down version of their once intellectually driven country through their own apathy and laziness assisted by an overwhelming reliance on junk though, junk science and religious fundamentalism. It’s a terrific book that contains a great deal of passion as well as a sense of hope, but the road out of the current melancholic ideology will be long and hard.
dh981's review against another edition
2.0
I appreciate the author's insight into the lack of rational thinking in today's American society, her astute observation of the contributions of technology, poor education, and aliteracy to "junk thought" in our country, and highlighting the value of the pursuit of intelligent thought and speech. However, I disagree strongly with her position that religion is the enemy of rational thought. Though she has excellent and valid examples of religion being used to counter intellectualism, it does not follow that one who is religious cannot also appreciate the use of rational and intellectual thought in tandem with their faith.
Overall, an insightful book in many ways, though I respectfully disagree with the conclusions drawn about religion.
Overall, an insightful book in many ways, though I respectfully disagree with the conclusions drawn about religion.
amadswami's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful and accessible writing style would make this a great book to lure scardy-cats across to the side of the intelligentsia. Wide-ranging topics make it very pertinent in the age of DRUMPF.