My wife was going to get rid of this book, one of the remnants of her college career. The book is pushing 50 and, in her opinion, a lot of the contents are dated. Unfortunately for her and our ever crowding book shelf, I took the chance to reread the book and declared a stay of execution. Back in 1968, Dr, Schaeffer addressed the social and intellectual climate of the Western World. Many were saying, "God is dead," and were proposing a variety of solutions to the despair that followed. This book follows the development of that modern thought, from the philosophers down to the general culture. Having established the dilemma, Dr. Schaeffer then looks at the spiritual and philosophical landscape and shows how the various schools of thought fall short compared to classic Christianity that starts with the premise that God exists and interacts with the world. My wife was right--the book is dated. But its also about timeless ideas. Reading how our parents and grandparents dealt with both timeless and contemporary issues helps one gain insight on the world's current challenges.