A report on—and critique of—life in American utopian communities of the 1800's. Kesten, an independent scholar, examines a number of groups, all based on social (rather than religious) ideology. The most famous is New Harmony, which followed Robert Owen's prescriptions against private property; other colonies modeled themselves on the teachings of Charles Fourier or Etienne Cabet. In all cases, Kesten finds, people became utopians through a mix of idealism, desire for education, and reaction against social woes such as slavery and poverty. Most often, what they discovered in their communities was a string of ``bitter ironies'': Instead of a brief workday with plenty of edifying leisure time, utopians lived like monks with, in one instance, 3:00 a.m. wake-ups followed by ice-water baths and a workday that stretched until 9:00 p.m. Bland food was the rule, along with prohibitions against alcohol, tobacco, and, in some cases, all animal products, including leather or woolen clothing. Women enjoyed the emancipation of pants and short skirts but remained subordinate to men. While a few communities like Brook Farm supported personal liberty, others squelched it at every turn: One prominent group in Illinois followed commandments like ``You must marry; celibacy not permitted'' and ``No Catholicism, atheism, or materialism. No religious dissent.'' To Kesten, utopian music, literature, and community newspapers were also arenas for failure, although he points out that some groups broke new ground by redefining privileges of the rich—such as a decent education- -as basic human rights. A bounty of lore for utopia buffs, but Kesten's evaluation seems too downbeat and even nitpicking (e.g., his poring over community documents for contradictions). One wonders what Sir Thomas More would say on the matter. (Thirteen illustrations)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-8156-2593-6
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Syracuse Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1993
A heartfelt if somewhat unsurprising view of old age by the former president. Carter (Living Faith, 1996, etc.) succinctly evaluates the evolution and current status of federal policies concerning the elderly (including a balanced appraisal of the difficulties facing the Social Security system). He also meditates, while drawing heavily on autobiographical anecdotes, on the possibilities for exploration and intellectual and spiritual growth in old age. There are few lightning bolts to dazzle in his prescriptions (cultivate family ties; pursue the restorative pleasures of hobbies and socially minded activities). Yet the warmth and frankness of Carter’s remarks prove disarming. Given its brevity, the work is more of a call to senior citizens to reconsider how best to live life than it is a guide to any of the details involved.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 1998
ISBN: 0-345-42592-8
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1998
A clear and candid contribution to an essential conversation.
Straight talk to blacks and whites about the realities of racism.
In her feisty debut book, Oluo, essayist, blogger, and editor at large at the Establishment magazine, writes from the perspective of a black, queer, middle-class, college-educated woman living in a “white supremacist country.” The daughter of a white single mother, brought up in largely white Seattle, she sees race as “one of the most defining forces” in her life. Throughout the book, Oluo responds to questions that she has often been asked, and others that she wishes were asked, about racism “in our workplace, our government, our homes, and ourselves.” “Is it really about race?” she is asked by whites who insist that class is a greater source of oppression. “Is police brutality really about race?” “What is cultural appropriation?” and “What is the model minority myth?” Her sharp, no-nonsense answers include talking points for both blacks and whites. She explains, for example, “when somebody asks you to ‘check your privilege’ they are asking you to pause and consider how the advantages you’ve had in life are contributing to your opinions and actions, and how the lack of disadvantages in certain areas is keeping you from fully understanding the struggles others are facing.” She unpacks the complicated term “intersectionality”: the idea that social justice must consider “a myriad of identities—our gender, class, race, sexuality, and so much more—that inform our experiences in life.” She asks whites to realize that when people of color talk about systemic racism, “they are opening up all of that pain and fear and anger to you” and are asking that they be heard. After devoting most of the book to talking, Oluo finishes with a chapter on action and its urgency. Action includes pressing for reform in schools, unions, and local governments; boycotting businesses that exploit people of color; contributing money to social justice organizations; and, most of all, voting for candidates who make “diversity, inclusion and racial justice a priority.”
A clear and candid contribution to an essential conversation.Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-58005-677-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Seal Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
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