THE GREENING OF AMERICA: How the Youth Revolution Is Trying to Make America Livable

by Charles Reich ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 1970

An earnest compound of indictment and uplift--Reich (a Yale Law School professor) diagnoses a cancerous society and recommends body paint. He begins with a romantically populist lament for a vanished democracy brimming with Whitmanesque joy; this was ""conquered by autocrats"" at some point, who imposed ""the commodity system."" Now ""America is one vast anti-community,"" ""wholly and perfectly indifferent to human values,"" ""a single vast corporation."" Reich distinguishes two types of outmoded consciousness: the bewildered go-getter individualist, and the liberal organization man whose adjustment struggles are best typified by Portnoy. Fortunately, there is now also youth consciousness. Reich sensitively analyzes the significance of dress, fudges on music, etc.: in general, he glamorizes a Life Style which The Youth must spread--""make their revolution by the yeast theory."" Marijuana will inevitably lead Americans to political concerns and a desire to ""pull out the plug"" of the omnipotent, ubiquitous ""Corporate Machine."" In the new age, economic equality will be ""assumed."" Meanwhile, those who dislike their jobs should ""redefine"" them, those who want better public services must sacrifice consumer goods; ""resist when you must, avoid when you can, be happy, live fully, stay together."" This idealized projection of current home remedies is not addressed to the missionary youths themselves, but to those suffering from the failure of reform, loss of self, and living death at suburban cocktail parties, all of which Reich describes, not very originally, as preface to his togetherness message. It is difficult to say how seriously the book will be taken: but readers who accept Reich's picture of death-dealing monopoly capital will think his solutions escapist, while readers responsive to youth culture scarcely need a hard sell to join it.

Pub Date: Oct. 5, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1970

Categories: NONFICTION