Empire of Illusion

The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

De: Chris Hedges

Narrado por: Jonathan Yen

We now live in two Americas. One - now the minority - functions in a print-based, literate world that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other - the majority - is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. To this majority - which crosses social class lines, though the poor are overwhelmingly affected-presidential debate and political rhetoric is pitched at a sixth-grade level.

In this "other America", serious film and theater, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins of society. In the tradition of Christopher Lasch's The Culture of Narcissism and Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges navigates this culture - attending WWF contests, the Adult Video News Awards in Las Vegas, and Ivy League graduation ceremonies - to expose an age of terrifying decline and heightened self-delusion.

©2009 Chris Hedges (P)2018 Tantor

Honest

Sounds like the previous reviewer was upset this book wasn’t what he wanted it to be. The author honestly lays out dire the situation we, as Americans, are in. I’m sorry they didn’t find the hope they were looking for.

Prophetic. A lot of it is currently playing out in America now.

It's a very interesting and worthwhile book. Chris Hedges gives a lot to think about and for such a small volume, it's quite packed. Listening to this now halfway through the Trump presidency is interesting, a lot of what's theorized as possible futures are currently unfolding before us and Hedges makes an interesting case for how our sysytems of news, entertainment, and politics are set up to ultimately fail us as they don't really work for our benefit but despite it. The audio performance of the audiobook was great.

sigh

Well, as I sit listening to this at 1am, in light of the current events, this is downright prophetic.

Amazing

While depressing this book is a must read given the current state of affairs. Must purchase

Great listen, but not when the kids are in the car

interesting insight and almost crystal balling life in 2021. Went a bit overboard with the porn stories, but was still a great listen.

Breathtaking Reality of a Country

This book is a great immersion into our society and what is causing our division. The rising of authoritarian figures that focus on corporate greed and push us against each other. Knowledge is power and it enable us to become a better world.

Prophetic in its understanding of America’s Future

Early in the book its examination in minute detail of our garish culture made me feel like a dog whose master shoves its nose in its shit while saying, “No! Bad!” It emphasized the very shallowness of our culture and then carries this over into the shallowness of our politics, our scholarship, and our religion. Written in 2010, it nonetheless anticipated the rise of a shallow, right wing populism that would feel safer under a dictatorship than under the failing structures of our existing order.

it's like he knew the future

listening in 2025 and everything he described in this 2018 book is smacking us dead in the face.

Amazing book

Very well written and insightful discusses the problems that America is facing due to the infinite capital accumulation that exists in our society

Heavy but true and done in style of entertainment

Entetaining read. Engaging ideas. Saying everything I already thought...except for the end which felt rushed and like a neat little bow to wrap up the complexities of the human experience.