The Age of American Unreason |
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Author:
| Jacoby, Susan |
ISBN: | 978-1-4000-9638-1 |
Publication Date: | Feb 2009 |
Publisher: | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
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Imprint: | Vintage |
Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $16.95 |
Book Description:
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A cultural history of the last forty years, The Age of American Unreason focuses on the convergence of social forces--usually treated as separate entities--that has created a perfect storm of anti-rationalism. These include the upsurge of religious fundamentalism, with more political power today than ever before; the failure of public education to create an informed citizenry; and the triumph of video over print culture. Sparing neither the right nor the left, Jacoby asserts...
More Description
A cultural history of the last forty years, The Age of American Unreason focuses on the convergence of social forces--usually treated as separate entities--that has created a perfect storm of anti-rationalism. These include the upsurge of religious fundamentalism, with more political power today than ever before; the failure of public education to create an informed citizenry; and the triumph of video over print culture. Sparing neither the right nor the left, Jacoby asserts that Americans today have embraced a universe of "junk thought" that makes almost no effort to separate fact from opinion.