false 2969118 1 Susan Griffin, winner of a MacArthur grant and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, is widely recognized as one of the most important feminist thinkers of our day. Griffin has been broadly praised for her erudition and depth, and for her poetic and evocative writing style. In this unique and timely exploration of American history, which emphasizes the inner lives of pivotal historical figures, she demonstrates that ultimately democracy is not only a system of governance, but, in its fullest form, represents a revolution in consciousness&#8212;one that is still unfolding today.<br><br>Beginning with an exploration of the life and thought of Thomas Jefferson, Griffin identifies two battling aspects of the American psyche: the &#8220;psychology of empire,&#8221; characterized by a desire for safety, order, and control, and the &#8220;psychology of democracy,&#8221; characterized by equality, empathy, and truth telling. According to Griffin, these two psychologies have been battling each other for supremacy from our country&#8217;s earliest inception. Griffin&#8217;s probing exploration of American history is interwoven with beautifully wrought passages of personal memoir exploring her upbringing and political awakenings in 1950s California.<br><br>Griffin argues convincingly that the birth of American democracy signaled a fundamental shift in our most deeply held values and understandings. Yet she provocatively suggests that the work of establishing democracy in this country has not been completed. We are still wrestling with the promise of democracy today and, as American citizens, are deeply impacted by the ongoing struggle between tyranny and freedom. 2998655 8 4 2008 Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen total:12|5:4|4:2|3:2|2:3|1:1| 12 41 41 4 2 0 false false Thu Apr 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 17 19:38:45 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 04 18:01:21 -0700 2009
i was correct. it was challenging. and her prose is beautiful.
the pace unfolded slowly. i came to it (as i do with all good and wonderful books that i ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Sep 19 17:26:38 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 19 17:26:38 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Nov 19 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Oct 20 17:41:53 -0700 2008 Wed Nov 19 17:05:32 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 30 12:22:44 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 30 12:24:54 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Mon Oct 05 18:37:44 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 18:37:44 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Sep 22 11:34:34 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 11:34:34 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Aug 28 06:12:38 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 28 06:12:38 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jun 15 15:14:20 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 15:14:20 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri May 29 13:43:51 -0700 2009 Fri May 29 13:43:51 -0700 2009 1 0 false false Tue Jun 23 03:26:33 -0700 2009 Sun May 24 21:06:29 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 03:26:33 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Apr 21 12:06:08 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 12:06:08 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Apr 04 16:58:54 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 04 16:59:41 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Mar 19 10:14:49 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 10:14:55 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Feb 16 18:16:57 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 16 18:16:57 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Feb 10 00:20:57 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 10 00:21:02 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Sun Feb 01 06:24:58 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 18 05:04:59 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 01 06:24:58 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jan 09 07:49:59 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 09 07:50:02 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 14 13:53:02 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 14 13:53:02 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Thu May 28 06:03:46 -0700 2009 Tue Nov 11 21:15:28 -0800 2008 Thu May 28 06:03:46 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Oct 06 21:37:34 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 06 21:37:34 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=2969118