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What Members Thought
An excellent and timely book on the decline of intellectualism in the USA, which is also relevant to the rest of the developed world. While I personally believe that Jacoby overplays her hand in the latter chapters on the malign influence of screen culture (the ubiquity of TV and now computers), the thrust of her argument is well written and undeniable. If we do not respect intellectualism and aspire to it for ourselves and our children, if we do not educate ourselves by reading broadly rather t
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I really enjoyed this book, though I feel that it was a bit preaching to the choir. And not a happy read. I think that perhaps the level of American intelligence may not ever again even reach where it was in the 1950s.
Jacoby deftly decries the tumbling downward spiral of American education and entertainment that meet to create a perfect storm of anti-intellectualism and lack of ability for critical thinking.
Though it makes me feel helpless for our society, I think that her main remedy may be as ...more
Jacoby deftly decries the tumbling downward spiral of American education and entertainment that meet to create a perfect storm of anti-intellectualism and lack of ability for critical thinking.
Though it makes me feel helpless for our society, I think that her main remedy may be as ...more
At times quite good, but ultimately too unfocused and too ranting on issues like the internet, the sixties, and several other subjects.
Mar 06, 2010
3kadamba2
marked it as to-read
Sep 14, 2010
Kaylana
marked it as to-read
Jan 10, 2012
Karla
marked it as to-read
Aug 17, 2012
Aaron Wilkerson
marked it as to-read
Feb 27, 2013
William Weyer
marked it as to-read
Apr 08, 2015
Laura
marked it as to-read
Feb 02, 2017
Franco
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
anthropology,
america
Jul 01, 2017
Max
marked it as to-read
