American Happiness and Discontents
The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020
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American Happiness and Discontents
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Narrated by:
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Jim Meskimen
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Written by:
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George F. Will
About this listen
Examine the ways in which expertise, reason, and manners are continually under attack in our institutions, courts, political arenas, and social venues with this collection from the Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative columnist.
George F. Will has been one of this country’s leading columnists since 1974. He won the Pulitzer Prize for it in 1977. The Wall Street Journal once called him “perhaps the most powerful journalist in America”. In this new collection, he examines a remarkably unsettling 13 years in our nation’s experience, from 2008 to 2020. Included are a number of columns about court cases, mostly from the Supreme Court, that illuminate why the composition of the federal judiciary has become such a contentious subject.
Other topics addressed include the American Revolutionary War, historical figures from Frederick Douglass to JFK, as well as a scathing assessment of how State of the Union Addresses are delivered in the modern day. Mr. Will also offers his perspective on American socialists, anti-capitalist conservatives, drug policy, the criminal justice system, climatology, the coronavirus, the First Amendment, parenting, meritocracy and education, China, fascism, authoritarianism, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and the morality of enjoying football. American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020 is a collection packed with wisdom and leavened by humor from one the preeminent columnists and intellectuals of our time.
©2021 George F. Will (P)2021 Hachette BooksWhat the critics say
"A deeply erudite, always opinionated commentator, Will laments the erosion of literacy and advocates for binge-reading rather than binge-watching, and he parses the intricacies of recent Supreme Court cases with authority.... A gentleman scholar and scold, Will continues to wield his sharp, discerning prose." (Kirkus Reviews)
"[An] erudite and eclectic collection.... Will's eulogies of conservative leaders...are particularly rich and insightful.... Will is a consistently provocative and articulate opinion-maker. Fans will delight in this expansive survey of his recent judgments." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about American Happiness and Discontents
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Domenic L.
- 2021-10-06
Great with limitations
A great writer whose erudition and depth of thought is reflected in each piece is hampered slightly by the fact it is a collection of articles. As the writings are grouped in themes many articles have a recounting of repeated statements or facts which are needed if articles are read months or years apart, but impact the fluidity when read together at one time. Overall excellent work from a writer who I do not share all ideological perspectives, but respect him nonetheless.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Laura
- 2021-10-09
A book to make you think
Wonderful. Poignant insight that doesn't stop engaging the reader. A must read or a must 'hear'!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Phonse Fagan
- 2021-10-01
Some real meat - and a bit of gristle
In the current climate of hyper-partisanship we are in dire need of sages who can “rise above it”, ignore irrelevant political baggage, and carefully evaluate issues on the basis of their inherent merits. George Will has the intelligence, training, experience, and literary skills to be that kind of thought leader. Indeed, he wittily skewers the misapprehensions and pretensions of wingnuts at both ends of the “political spectrum” (a term that is becoming less and less useful as the issues become more and more complex).
I mostly enjoyed this book, but also found myself calling “BS” a number of times: usually relating to his over-commitment to populist political identity categories. For example, he uses the word “progressive” in association with intellectual positions that I (as someone who believes that, since we have clearly not reached the status of “perfect society”, should always be seeking sensible ways to “progress”) would denounce as sternly as he does. The reality is that most of us sapiens are intellectually capable of understanding a well-reasoned argument - and are also emotionally capable of changing our minds - as long as we haven’t become ideologically blinded by attachment (or assignment) to some kind of group identity. So, wouldn't it be more socially responsible to try and move past the divisive political labeling that tends to fuel the identity politics he rightly decries? Surely, by keeping the focus on the substance of the issues, we will stand a better chance of finding common ground and working together toward solutions.
Indeed, Mr. Will himself seems to have fallen victim to an in-group blind-spot, in that he utterly (willfully?) misses the point on climate change science. Hint: If you’re focusing on the resilience of the planet (which will keep on spinning whether we’re here or not - and quite possibly with different species) - rather than whether we are modifying the ecosystem that supports us, at a dangerous rate, then it’s time to go back to school.
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