"Dark Ages America" ... Anyone else read it?

[hollowtree]

I picked up Morris Berman's "Dark Ages America" from the library a few months ago, just expecting some garden-variety doom to pass the time. But it ended up being surprisingly good and very thought provoking. Has anyone read it, and what did you think?

The NY Times panned it as an incoherent temper tantrum, but I thought it was excellent. Especially his theories about the evolution of American psychology and foreign policy.

[JurisDoctorOfDoom]

I thought it absolutely fantastic, so much so I even photocopied pages and sent them to my mom. My favorite parts, either because I found them strangely hilarious or very insightfull:

#1)  The bit about the businessman who has the nervous breakdown on the subway and the author says "the doctors missed the obvious diagnosis which is that nobody could live this way and not be expected to go insane"

#2)  American culture's obsession with "private technical solutions" to complex social problems

#3)  Why other cities can't or won't emulate Portland (depressing to be sure)

#4) His stories of life in a Washington D.C. condo

#5) Explanation of how the CIA overthrew Iran in the 50s (I knew this stuff but he had a great way of lucidly explaining the behind the scenes battles in terms of the White House and the CIA)

#6) The explanation of the costs of technology, particularly the example of what is the difference between having a hearth and having central heat. That part was so good I've been thinking about transcribing it by hand and posting it to LATOC. Tbat was probably my favorite part bar none.

[Satori]

excellent read

highly recommended

[livinlite]

My favorite part of reading was leaving it sitting around my families house when I was staying with them...and/or lying on the table at coffee shops...provoked many interesting discussions.

And yes, good read.  Great read, really.

[hollowtree]

JDD You should try and get Berman's stuff onto the site. Maybe if you add his book to the LATOC store he will let you post an excerpt.

Wasn't "Dark Ages" a followup to a previous book "The Twilight of American Culture"? I wanted to pick that one up too, but I think I already know how it ends.

[hollowtree]

here's a link to the author's blog

http://morrisberman.blogspot.com/

[NickWSandDancer]

That's another one for my Xmas list! Sounds interesting!

[Bill Hicks]

Excellent read.  I highly recommend it.   

[uberdoomer]

here's a link to the author's blog

http://morrisberman.blogspot.com/

Hollowtree, this looks like a great blog, thanks!

From the blog we learn he is working on another book tentatively titled "Progress and Its Shadow."

[Brian in Seattle]

I bought it used and have it sitting in the Waiting to be Read pile next to the bed. The book I'm currently reading is tedious. Maybe I'll
switch it out.

Brian

[MCT]

Especially his theories about the evolution of American psychology

Could you give an quick summary?  I'm a (disillusioned) psychology grad student, and thinking of purchasing it.  I checked and the school library doesn't carry it - no surprise there.   

[westshore]

I bought it used and have it sitting in the Waiting to be Read pile next to the bed. The book I'm currently reading is tedious. Maybe I'll
switch it out.

Brian

Not a bad idea; I didn't find the book tedious at all.  It has been a few years, 2006 I believe, perhaps I will purchase for my own collection.
Twilight of the American Century by the same author was a good read as well; focused on education in the US, or rather lack of.

[hollowtree]

Especially his theories about the evolution of American psychology

Could you give an quick summary?  I'm a (disillusioned) psychology grad student, and thinking of purchasing it.  I checked and the school library doesn't carry it - no surprise there.

It's been a few months since I've read it so my paraphrasing will probably be off. Anyone else want to jump in here?

Basically he relates the personalities of the pioneers and settlers who founded America with the current culture of selfish isolated materialism and the lack of cohesive American communities. Obviously not everyone who came to America was the opportunistic get-rich-quick type, there were also many who came over looking for religious freedom. But I think there were enough people who came here solely for earthly pursuits, to exploit the free-for-all land grab, and they were more interested in amassing personal wealth than creating a community in the New World with a random collection of other settlers, with whom a shared collective history and culture was lacking. So from this genetic stock and disjointed social situation comes American culture in its current form: myopic greed and "what's in it for me"/"not in my backyard" types of communities.

[MCT]

Thanks hollowtree! 

I totally agree.  A lot of our characteristics can be traced to our country's 'settling'. 

[quietnite]

I am reading this now, FASCINATING. Very well documented and exhaustively footnoted. Eyeopening and thought provoking. I think I will have to read it a second time to digest it better. Just finished reading about why Carter's presidency was such an anomoly. I agree with a premise he supports in the book about how anathema it is Americans to look inside and question/evaluate ourselves. How much more comfortable we are with an enemy because other than consumers we have no identity without an enemy. The idea of "communism"="terrorism"="right/left" as an "other" so we can focus out rather than on ourselves in a critical/maturing sense...really rang true to what I'm seeing in my country right now (and I am pretty vulnerable to this thinking, if I must be honest)

Anyway, good read so far...