Please note that questions regarding fulfillment, customer service, privacy policies, or issues relating to your book orders should be directed to the Webmaster or administrator of the specific bookseller's site and are their sole responsibility. He was interviewed while…. Christopher Hayes contends that Americans distrust of once respected institutions is due to the failures of our leaders…. If a culture disappears and no one misses it, or even remembers it, does that make a tragedy?
The market metes out our fates, and rightly so. Competition in the capitalist marketplace is the only fair and democratic way to determine which cultural practices will survive. Purchases are votes. Whining about cultural decline is elitist; lack of effective demand is equivalent to a thumbs-down in the cultural colosseum. Berman is certainly not the first writer to argue that a "hustling culture" not only makes for a poor social glue but that it has a highly detrimental effect on all other institutions and cultural strongholds in the milieu from which it emerged.
One can go back to Tocqueville and find similar arguments, and other critics, including Daniel Bell, Richard Hofstadter, Herbert Marcuse, Barbara Ehrenreich, Neil Postman, Christopher Lasch, and many more have brought the analysis all the way up to the present.
Until recently, however, the predominant tendency has been to couple such critiques with an evaluation of the prospects for reform or renewal, grounded in a belief that the social resources for reversing or at least keeping in check the worst tendencies of capitalist culture were also present and sufficiently strong to be effective. Berman, however, joins a small but growing number of other critics who now argue that reform is no longer a serious option. Instead, the politically agressive and unchecked reign of capitalism and its attendent social relations are dragging the U.
Elsewhere Berman has argued for what he calls the "monastic option," whereby individuals and communities committed to preservation of the best aspects of American culture can do their work despite the ongoing social collapse, and he also advocates all forms of nonviolent resistance to a government that is likely to grow increasingly oppressive as its authority comes unglued.
There is hope in Berman's work, but it is hope that must be properly situated in a clear understanding of history, a willigness to confront the ugliest aspects of the current social order, and a radical skepticism toward the mythologies of a nationalism that is powerless to stop the "hustling culture" from its ongoing ravages.
View 2 comments. Apr 10, Roger rated it it was amazing. This is an excellent, thought-provoking book that should be required reading for every person living in the USA.
Moreover, I think everyone here in my country, Poland, would benefit from reading it, too. It was a refreshing change from life in the States. When I moved to Warsaw in early Poland was a much different and far better place. However, the hunger for consumer goods and internation This is an excellent, thought-provoking book that should be required reading for every person living in the USA.
However, the hunger for consumer goods and international business and CIA strategies resulted in a swift abandonment of values that had served Poles well for many years. Sadly, since the fall of the Soviet Union, Poles have followed the USA's lead like lemmings running to those picturesque sea-cliffs.
Thankfully, we still have the universal health-care, long paid vacations, maternity and paternity leaves, access to healthy food, etc. I left the US long before Berman wrote his first book on the topic, The Twilight of American Culture but he is absolutely right; if you want to live a richer, fuller life, leave! View all 3 comments. Aug 20, Wendelle added it. He makes no mention of the challenges of the medieval model: the vise grip of seniority and nepotism, the lack of of re we all welcome a critique of capitalism or the rapacious pursuit of affluence, but this book is just not very good for the following reasons.
He makes no mention of the challenges of the medieval model: the vise grip of seniority and nepotism, the lack of of recognition for individual initiative, etc. There was a lot of angry opinions packed together in this book without effort to construct them into unassailable logical argument b it seriously needs a strong editing hand. Oct 15, Katy rated it liked it. If it hadn't been for the weakness of the chapter on the American South I would have easily given this four stars; as it was I had a tough time slogging through it because of its' vacuous and facile treatment of slavery.
He should have either written an entire book about the basic material in that chapter or left it out entirely. Otherwise his bleak assessment of the American character and culture seems to me to be fairly well in line with both what I observe and other contemporary respected cul If it hadn't been for the weakness of the chapter on the American South I would have easily given this four stars; as it was I had a tough time slogging through it because of its' vacuous and facile treatment of slavery.
Otherwise his bleak assessment of the American character and culture seems to me to be fairly well in line with both what I observe and other contemporary respected cultural critics I'm looking at you, Ta-Nehisi Coates. I am certainly interested to see if Mr Berman has a recent publication that extends his thinking to our current political reality.
Jul 05, Unreasonably rated it it was ok. A retread of earlier works with a side order of Confederate Lost Cause apologia that deeply compromises the central thesis.
Despite all his attempted disclaimers, he is far too generous with the cruelty and sadism of the extractive antebellum Southern economy, which was very much integrated into the global market.
His work in this book is an example of the utter failure of a culture-first framework: Berman's delusion is that US culture is so all-corrupting and immutable that even the antebellum A retread of earlier works with a side order of Confederate Lost Cause apologia that deeply compromises the central thesis.
His work in this book is an example of the utter failure of a culture-first framework: Berman's delusion is that US culture is so all-corrupting and immutable that even the antebellum South can be galaxy-brained into appearing to be a benign alternative. Sep 08, Patti rated it really liked it. A scathing indictment of American culture and a not-to-be-ignored warning of where it all will lead.
Since this book was published in , it's frightening to see how accurate Berman's predictions have been. I found his style of writing pompous and annoying- however, his message is an important one. Very well written Accessible to the uninformed. Shocking in many was and sad in others. It will be interesting to see what unfolds Nov 15, Kitap rated it really liked it Shelves: politics , social-commentary , history , collapse , library-university. His highly readable rants against the many failings of contemporary USAmerican society locate the deep cause of our nihilism and ennui in a tradition of "hustling," of seeking nothing but commercial and financial success 3.
His highly readable rants against the many failings of contemporary USAmerican society locate the deep cause of our nihilism and ennui in a tradition of "hustling," of seeking nothing but commercial and financial success, that extends back to the days of the hallowed Founding Fathers. According to Berman, this driving ideology of the US--that freedom to succeed and to prosper, whatever the consequences for those around you, is the only freedom worth pursuing--has been dominant since the inception of the nation; it goes a long way to explaining why the US is an artless cultural wasteland where wars are regarded as football games and torture is celebrated as a valuable tool in the "War on Terror.
He repeatedly argues that the U. Civil War was, in the final analysis, a good thing, and that a way of life based on slavery, was, regardless of its virtues, an abomination, but this notwithstanding he also thinks that the aristocratic, European way of life of the South, defeated in the U. Civil War, was the first casualty in the United States' century-and-a-half, Borg-like imperial expansion of the "freedom to hustle.
Sounds like Uncle Sam was damned in one way or another from the get-go. With this sort of background, it probably shouldn't surprise that Berman's assessment of our national future is even bleaker than in his two previous works if that is possible.
As well, he continues to insist on the "monastic option" first discussed in The Twilight of American Culture as the only course for those who swim against the current in the U.
In other words, the alternative traditions in the U. He also talks about being an expat, encourages his readers to join him in his exodus from this sinking ship, and openly says that he doesn't think there is any hope for the U. Challenging, infuriating, pessimistic as hell, and impossible to put down, it is, like I said, vintage Berman. In "Why America Failed" Morris Berman posits that the current angst and volatility of US is the direct result of an ingrained tradition of swindling or hustling which he believes was established with the colonization of North America.
The financial collapse in provides him with abundant ammunition for this argument, and clearly, some criminal intent was present in the credit default swaps and other swindles perpetrated by Goldman-Sachs and other financial institutions.
Even before , ho In "Why America Failed" Morris Berman posits that the current angst and volatility of US is the direct result of an ingrained tradition of swindling or hustling which he believes was established with the colonization of North America.
Even before , however, there indeed problems that have caused wage stagnation and massive accumulation of wealth by a small number of individuals. An example of corporate malfeasance is the attempts of the tobacco industry not only to suppress the overwhelming scientific evidence about the carcinogenic effects of smoking but also to develop strains of tobacco plants with higher levels of the addictive substance, nicotine.
Where Berman's argument completely derails, however, is in attributing the underlying cause to technology and progress. While acknowledging that Unabomber Ted Kaczynski murdered or maimed several innocent people, Berman's main complaint is that in his manifesto Kaczynski's writing is "sophomoric" and badly in need of an editorThe Anti-Bellum South, Berman asserts, was a truly genteel society that valued contemplation and honor completely unlike the ruthlessly aggressive North that steamrolled over everything in its way.
While paying lip service to the fact slavery was abusive and immoral, he seems unjable to appreciate that fact that it was the exploitation of other human beings that enabled the anti-Bellum Southern gentlemen to pursue a life of relaxed contemplation. Criticism is directed at Abraham Lincoln whom the author notes worked to improve transportation in his state, and thus a force for progress and technology.
The author claims the reading a document on a computer monitor elevates dopamine, cortisol, and causes decreased ability to analyze critically. In other words, using a computers causes a form of dementia.
Worse still, in the author's view, is multi-tasking which he believes results in impaired reasoning. In different chapters, Berman bemoans that thousands of people in cities like Manhattan live in isolation from one another, but then seems to contradict himself by asserting that technology in the form of iPhone and iPads deprives people of solitude necessary to contemplation.
Berman categorically rejects the idea that technology is a tool that can be used or misused: he regards technology and progress as essentially evil. Not surprisingly, Berman concludes that the situation in the US is hopeless and the country is doomed. The problems that current grip the US are serious and may not be corrected in the fullness of time, but it seems absurd to attribute these as the direct result of technological progress.
Nowhere in his screed does Berman mention the uniquely American brands of anti-intellectualism and religious fundamentalism, the substandard educational system, the bloated military budget, the over-extended imperium with at least known bases in foreign countries and an unknown number of covert sites, a non-functioning congress too often manipulated by lobbyists and corrupted by money.
In blaming technology and progress which have saved and improved the lives of millions, Morris Berman destroys his credibility. May 11, Nathaniel rated it liked it. I own all three books of this "trilogy" and find Berman's work to be prescient, refreshingly candid, but frustrating.
This book is no exception. Throughout, Berman makes a number of extremely valid points about the reasons for the decline of the American system, which in this book focuses on what he calls the "hustler culture". However, Berman's problem is that the dominant thesis in his books is itself immune to contradictory evidence - Berman is convinced that America is a failed state, so he I own all three books of this "trilogy" and find Berman's work to be prescient, refreshingly candid, but frustrating.
However, Berman's problem is that the dominant thesis in his books is itself immune to contradictory evidence - Berman is convinced that America is a failed state, so he will only find arguments to support that opinion. In short, while I think he demonstrates a high quality of thought, he's still to some degree judging the sources that he uses based entirely on his agenda, and sometimes writes with a very monolithic tone that sometimes undermines his argument.
With that said, the first three chapters of this book posit a provocative and interesting analysis of American society. The fourth really stretches credibility by venturing farther into the realm of American political and military as opposed to social history than Berman is qualified to go and delivering an incredibly controversial argument for which I don't think he necessarily has all of his ducks in a row.
And the fifth chapter, which suggests remedies, is, as with all Berman books like this, laughably weak - Berman is a great social critic, but his greatest weakness is that he has no credible solutions for fixing the problems he identifies, and obviously has little interest in doing so - it is likely that these halfhearted "solution" chapters at the end of his books are purely a requirement of the publisher, but they're so bad that they undermine everything that came before.
In this case, Berman suggests the "Second Vermont Republic" secession movement as something that might offer hope for the future, writing from the perspective of someone who has obviously barely even set foot in Vermont.
And many of the problems with American society that Berman identifies are manifest in Vermont society, just in slightly different permutations. Berman also ignores convenient mathematical facts that don't fit his argument in cases such as these, e.
Berman could've gotten this information and more from a few minutes spent on Google, and the fact that he didn't even bother with that much reflects badly on his entire scholarly process.
Because Berman's research in chapter 5 is so shoddy, it makes me question everything that came before, and his motivations generally. Which is a shame, because chapters are among his best work, and I at least appreciate the daring of chapter 4, even if I'm skeptical of the way he presents the overall theory. I just wish the author had done a better job of checking his sources and tying it all together.
Apr 11, Seth Wilpan added it. Morris Berman frames the American Gestalt in what he terms a nation of hustlers and an ethos based on the hustling mentality. The lectures are congruent with this perspective, though the lecturer, Jerry Z.
Muller, spends time tracing the evolution of the mindset of this mercantilism or industrialism. For as long as people have thought about it they have grappled witht the conflict of materialism and virtue, implicit within which is the nature and role of the state.
Adam Smith was the first and the preeminent advocate of free trade and the benefits of the division of labor, but it must be remembered that he was a moral philosopher and his overarching concern was the universal well-being of all people, which he thought would be served by a society organized around industrialism, but not without the careful supervision of a state that ensured that the self-interest that drives such a society was governed.
Rousseau feared that the emoluments of material wealth would lead to the degeneration of moral character. In America, Jefferson was more in the camp of Rousseau, favoring a nation of small farmers, while Hamilton was ardent in the promotion of an industrial society.
Berman makes the argument, well supported by scholarship, that the civil war was about this clash of cultures, the issue of slavery being the external fulcrum of that conflict. The south treasured a life centered around the cultivation of virtue and the glory of living in the moment, compared to the ethos of the north which was focused on the acquisition of wealth and position. The issue of whether new states would allow or prohibit slavery would determine which of these cultures would prevail.
Dec 05, Stephen rated it it was amazing. This is the third book of Berman's trilogy concluding what he started in the early post years. We can't help it; there is nothing we can do to This is the third book of Berman's trilogy concluding what he started in the early post years. We can't help it; there is nothing we can do to save ourselves because AmeriKa is an addict. AmeriKa is a hustler society.
The foundation was laid out by the earliest colonists, lead to the expansion of the country and the explosion of empire as our obsession with technology lead to vaster quantities of consumption which lead to ever more hustling on the part of all; a vicious circle.
The book is well researched, with copious end-notes supporting the arguments that are meticulously laid out chapter by chapter. No answer is provided, there are a few suggestions, so it is up to the reader to decide.
A lot of people who should read this will not. I for one feel better about the coming clusterfuck! May 20, Mike Moskos rated it liked it Shelves: book. Because I'm familiar with the themes of this book, the writing here didn't feel very heartfelt: it seemed more like an academic survey rather than something deeply experienced. For those who read the book and want to answer the question of why slavery in America, see " Uncovering the New World Columbus Created" by Charles Mann.
Immunity to one type of malaria had a lot to do with it. The Africans' immunity to it--which wiped out those of other ancestries en masse--meant they were the only Because I'm familiar with the themes of this book, the writing here didn't feel very heartfelt: it seemed more like an academic survey rather than something deeply experienced.
The Africans' immunity to it--which wiped out those of other ancestries en masse--meant they were the only ones who could survive the American South. There was but one source of revenue: the tariff.
There were no internal taxes. May 09, Anna rated it really liked it Shelves: culture-religion-politics. As the book I implies, American isn't failing, it has failed. This book does not offer hope for change if only we do certain prescribed things, and that is refreshing.
Several of the books I have read recently have had all these scenarios on how we can turn things around and frankly, I think that is wishful thinking. This may seem pessimistic, but at this point I prefer honesty. See details for additional description. Skip to main content. About this product. Brand new: Lowest price The lowest-priced brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging where packaging is applicable.
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