Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

By: Richard Hofstadter

Narrated by: Adam Verner

Winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize in Non-Fiction.

This book throws light on many features of the American character. Its concern is not merely to portray the scorners of intellect in American life, but to say something about what the intellectual is, and can be, as a force in a democratic society.

©1963 Richard Hofstadter (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"As Mr. Hofstadter unfolds the fascinating story, it is no crude battle of eggheads and fatheads. It is a rich, complex, shifting picture of the life of the mind in a society dominated by the ideal of practical success." (Robert Peel, Christian Science Monitor)

Very Well Written

I love the way this book is laid out. Extremely well organized and reads very easy.

A Very Thought Provoking Work With Much Historical Information

I was extremely happy to have come across this work. It is a treatise on American Intellectualism and the difficulties encountered by intellectuals. The book is slightly dated, authored in the 1960s, but as I will explain, makes a great first volume of two volumes. The narration is clear and very well done. However the subject matter is somewhat deep and there are many references to individuals and works the merit further study.

I came across this work after reading “The Age of American Unreason” by Susan Jacoby. If I had to do it over again I would have read her work as Volume 2 as it is of more recent vintage. Both merit thought and further study. Thank You.

excellent narration and content

This book clearly exposes American society in its moments of anti-intellectual bias and outright hostility. I learned more than I bargained for and, equally, more than I expected! Highly recommended!

Rediscovery

This book was a cornerstone of my intellectual development; hearing it here on Audible was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. Of course, the book isn't perfect; Hofstadter did wander a bit, and the Conclusion seems to be an effort to make a grand final statement. Still, it was wonderful to hear this book narrated, and narrated so well. Kudos to all involved.

Fifty years later, still valid today

Soon after graduation from Columbia I had the opportunity to read this seminal work which helped me better understand my sense of alienation from US society, following the McCarthy era and the Eisenhower years. Now, almost in my dotage I have listened to Verner's excellent reading of Hofstadter and realized that his observations about the state of anti-intellectualism are, if anything, more cogent today. Trump's election broadly supported by what H.L.Mencken might have called the " Booboisie" has provided clear evidence that intellect and thoughtful intelligence continue to be held in disregard.
Of course, the irony is that only readers who see themselves as intellectuals will want to obtain copies of this fine audiobook.

David Evan Glasser