Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
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Description
Description
Pulitzer prize-winner Chris Hedges charts the dramatic and disturbing rise of a post-literate society that craves fantasy, ecstasy and illusion.
Chris Hedges argues that we now live in two societies: One, the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world, that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other, a growing majority, is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. In this "other society," serious film and theatre, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins.
In the tradition of Christopher Lasch's The Culture of Narcissism and Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, Hedges navigates this culture -- attending WWF contests as well as Ivy League graduation ceremonies -- exposing an age of terrifying decline and heightened self-delusion.
Chris Hedges argues that we now live in two societies: One, the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world, that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other, a growing majority, is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. In this "other society," serious film and theatre, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins.
In the tradition of Christopher Lasch's The Culture of Narcissism and Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, Hedges navigates this culture -- attending WWF contests as well as Ivy League graduation ceremonies -- exposing an age of terrifying decline and heightened self-delusion.
About the Author
About the Author
Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. He spent nearly two decades as a correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans, with fifteen years at the New York Times. He is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Empire of Illusion; Death of the Liberal Class; War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning; and Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, which he co-wrote with Joe Sacco. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"A trenchantly argued critique of the near-destruction of the American Dream by unfettered capitalism."--Philadelphia Inquirer
"Remarkable, bracing and highly moral, Empire of Illusion is Hedges' lament for his nation."--Macleans
"Thoroughly documented and written in a measured but take-no-prisoners tone.... It's bound to stir up its share of interest-generating controversy."--Booklist
"Each chapter of Empire of Illusion makes a strong case for how different illusions...taken together are destroying the American mind, culture and the nation itself."--National Post
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Bold Type Books
Pub date:
2010-10-05
Length:
240 pages
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