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For Common
Things
Irony, Trust,
and Commitment in America Today
by Jedediah Purdy
Book Description
Unusual and impressive, this is a twenty-four-year-old
writer's ringing and heartfelt plea for renewed commitment to
-- and faith in -- civic and political life.
Given the cynicism rampant in America today, Jedediah Purdy's
endeavor may seem quixotic. But he persuasively argues the
necessity and satisfactions of social and political
reengagement and of renewed attention to the "common
things" we all have a stake in: the environment,
education, culture, law, and government. Drawing on a wide
range of sources -- from Thoreau to Seinfeld -- he
contemplates such questions as the use of irony in popular
culture, the breakdown of our political processes, and the
moral and legal dilemmas posed by technological advances. In
these and other discussions, he lures us away from disbelief
and detachment toward a sincere devotion to the healing and
betterment of society.
Homeschooled in rural West Virginia, Purdy went on to study
at Harvard; this dual experience fuels his lucid and often
unsettling observations. His thinking is fresh, his tone
civil, his criticism constructive. What he suggests is that
we can hope for a sound society if we work for it: each of us
is responsible for the common good and for upholding the
integrity of common things. This is an engaging, honest, and
bracing reminder of what it is that we value in our society,
and of our responsibility to preserve it.
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