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Home books Social and Cultural Studies

Empire Of Illusion: The End Of Literacy And The Triumph Of Spectacle

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Empire Of Illusion: The End Of Literacy And The Triumph Of Spectacle

by Chris Hedges

Knopf Canada | August 24, 2010 | Trade Paperback

Based on 21 ratings | Rate this

Pulitzer prize-winner Chris Hedges charts the dramatic and disturbing rise of a post-literate society that craves fantasy, ecstasy and illusion.

Chris Hedges argues that we now live in two societies: One, the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world, that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other, a growing majority, is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. In this "other society," serious film and theatre, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins.

In the tradition of Christopher Lasch's The Culture of Narcissism and Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, Hedges navigates this culture - attending WWF contests as well as Ivy League graduation ceremonies - exposing an age of terrifying decline and heightened self-delusion.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Found in: Current Events

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Good description of the modern "Bread and Circuses"
by Bruce Brownell
5 months ago

This is probably the first book I would recommend to chronicle our spiral into corporate induced hell. The 1st chapter covers the broad based entertainment industry that provides the distraction. The 2nd descends into the pornography businesses that substitute for relationships, 3 deals with training and brain washing the leadership of the elites. Chapter 4 on the control of the masses and 5 chronicles the current state of the union and why he thinks we are thoroughly euchred. Chapter 1 may be a bit longer than necessary and chapter 2 is extremely disturbing but they do build the foundation for the rest of the book. A sobering and thoughtful journey to understanding the leadership of corporate America; and their puppets in Washington.