The Age of Acquiescence

The Life and Death of American Resistance to Organized Wealth and Power

By: Steve Fraser

Narrated by: Pete Larkin

Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

A groundbreaking investigation of how and why, from the 18th century to the present day, American resistance to our ruling elites has vanished.

From the American Revolution through the Civil Rights movement, Americans have long mobilized against political, social, and economic privilege. Hierarchies based on inheritance, wealth, and political preferment were treated as obnoxious and a threat to democracy. Mass movements envisioned a new world supplanting dog-eat-dog capitalism. But over the last half-century that political will and cultural imagination have vanished. Why?

The Age of Acquiescence seeks to solve that mystery. Steve Fraser's account of national transformation brilliantly examines the rise of American capitalism, the visionary attempts to protect the democratic commonwealth, and the great surrender to today's delusional fables of freedom and the politics of fear. Effervescent and razorsharp, The Age of Acquiescence will be one of the most provocative and talked-about books of the year.

©2015 Steve Fraser (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Very informative book a must read

A highly informative book that really dissects modern American history in a way that compares the anti-capitalism of previous generations with our own generations “acquiescence” with in incredible precision. Well worth a read.

excellent and thoughtful book.

timely history and important discussion of work, workers from agrarian days, through industrialization and the still to be reckoned with damage of the current age.

Very good book

Narration was well done. The history provided by the author is excellent. He is decidedly slanted however makes up for it in his history lessons. Example: he has no problem talking about racism on the right but never brings up Strom Thurmond or Robert Byrd…funny how that didn’t make the book. Nor did Bernays but some advertiser of the 50’s did. So read it but be ready to critically think

Very good: a little heavy on French adjectives

A very informative history and development of modern economics and the effects those developments had on human lives within American society. Very interesting.

Interesting history

This is a history book about how we came to accept inequality. The whole story, mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries, leading up to now. Very studied and interesting, and not a light read. Good narration, very steady. The middle class is doomed again!

Important socio-historical critique

Many bold assertions made in the book - footnotes might reveal the evidence for them.

Excellent

Excellent book drawing a clear line from America's past to the present age. Shows clearly how social forces and in particular the ascendance of neoliberalism' form of capitalism have changed us.

Stilted Verbiage Obfuscates Salient Leitmotif

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Seriously, the writing here made listening feel like punishment to absorb an otherwise interesting message -- much harder than need be. The author went well out of his way to avoid cardinal rules of good non-fiction writing, especially the one that says not to use complicated word strings where simpler wording will do. I do have the vocabulary to follow the author but, wow, not a pleasant experience. I also sensed a thread of Marxist thought in the authors logic. While I think Marx had some very valid points, it's hard for even liberals like me to cozy up.

What about Pete Larkin’s performance did you like?

Narrator did a fine job.

Could you see The Age of Acquiescence being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No. Not ever.

Good topic but poorly written

A worthwhile topic but overly inflated academic writing style is tough to endure. I would look for another book on this topic and pass on this one.