A short book on some ideas for why things in America are going the way they are in 2022. The author traces the problems of today back through time to around 1970, when he thinks America went the wrong direction.
Whether the writer’s ideas are correct or not is probably not important for me, but rather this book was an interesting look at how the USA never really moved past slavery, and how a sort of hyper-individualism is causing problems for everyone.
Now I live in a very collectivist society, and although there are plenty of weak points, the strong points of living in Japan are higher than average social cohesion and people willing to make personal sacrifices (in privacy, personal space, or even freedom) to help the greater good.
I appreciated the intelligent analysis of the problems facing Americans these days, and I think it should prompt some healthy discussion. Nothing is black and white but these are some starting points to look at where things might have gone wrong and a possible roadmap to improvement.
There are some broad ideas for recovery, but they felt pretty naive to me, and didn’t delve into details that might make these recommended steps feel more realistic.
There was also a lot of history – both personal and national. I could have done with less of the national history in this book, but the writer’s personal history is closely tied with some key events in the birth of the USA, so I suppose we have to go with it. Much more interesting was the memoir-esque portions that had a good blend of nostalgia and humor.
Next I’m reading Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel.
