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Empire of Illusion : The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

by Chris Hedges
Empire of Illusion : The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle - Thryft
Empire of Illusion : The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle - Thryft

Post-literate America craves fantasy, not reality.

"Empire of Illusion" is a must-read for those who want to understand the mechanisms that divert our attention from the economic, political, and moral collapses around us. Chris Hedges takes us on a journey to the world of professional wrestling, pornographic film industry, and academic conferences. He exposes the cultural embrace of illusion and the celebrity culture that accompanies it. Hedges argues that corporations have ruthlessly dismantled and destroyed our manufacturing base while generating vast wealth for the elite. By reading this book, users can gain a comprehensive understanding of how the media, entertainment industry, and popular culture lure us into illusions and keep us amused.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Empire of Illusion : The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

by Chris Hedges
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9781568584379
Authors: Chris Hedges
Publisher: Nation Books
Date of Publication: 2009-07-14
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Sociology, Philosophy, History, Politics
Related Topics: Education, History, Politics, History, Politics, Sociology, Society, History
Goodreads rating: 3.95
(rated by 5612 readers)

Description

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 reading 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.
 

Post-literate America craves fantasy, not reality.

"Empire of Illusion" is a must-read for those who want to understand the mechanisms that divert our attention from the economic, political, and moral collapses around us. Chris Hedges takes us on a journey to the world of professional wrestling, pornographic film industry, and academic conferences. He exposes the cultural embrace of illusion and the celebrity culture that accompanies it. Hedges argues that corporations have ruthlessly dismantled and destroyed our manufacturing base while generating vast wealth for the elite. By reading this book, users can gain a comprehensive understanding of how the media, entertainment industry, and popular culture lure us into illusions and keep us amused.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.