This is a very interesting, and, I think, valuable book to
have come out at this time and place. Surveys he cites show that one fifth of
Americans think the 9/11 attacks were an inside job by American government
agents, and four fifths believe that the Bible is factual history right down to
the creation story. Only a third of us believe that the current climate changes
are human caused. Various religious sects believe all the others are heretic. The
author states that between the 60s anything goes ideology, the huge show
business influence, extreme religions, and the internet, the lines between
reality and what we merely believe in have become very, very blurred. We put feelings
and beliefs ahead of verifiable facts, in ways that people in the rest of the
world don’t. And this loss of touch with reality brings us to the point where
religious beliefs are being used to direct boards of education and medical
care, and we elect politicians on what they say rather than what their voting
record (or lack thereof) shows they’ve done.
American history, from the very first European settlers
(barring the Vikings, who didn’t stick around), has been different from that of
other countries. He goes through the details of why Americans are unique in how
they see the world. He writes about not just religion and politics but
immersive gaming and comic cons. (note to the author: I’ll go out on a limb and
say that 99% of us who go to cons don’t believe we’re really vampires, in an
alternate Victorian age where ray guns are powered by steam, or that we are
capable of flying- it’s just *fun*)
The book is not overly long (over 400 pages) but it is a
solid read. Despite the length and the deluge of facts, the author has an
entertaining writing style that drew me in and made this a book I couldn’t put
down. I think it’s an important subject to think about, and possibly reassess
how our own beliefs influence our actions. Five stars
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Neither of these things influenced my review.
Very interesting. Timely as you point out. I really didn't realize that many people thought 9/11 was a govt. job.
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