Seeing through the Illusions
Author/journalist Chris Hedges has written a good book called Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (July 2009). The work is divided into five sections, each one examining illusions in different fields: literacy, love, wisdom, happiness, and America.
My reading experience was rather peculiar, in that the interest level ramped up rather slowly. It started out wobbly, picked up steam as it went, and really soared at the end.
In the crisply written closing chapter, “The Illusion of America,” Hedges delivers an excellent overview and critique of the current State of the Nation. If you find yourself bogging down in the earlier sections, skip ahead — but do not miss the final chapter.
Sobering, because it sees without illusion, this sort of clarity of vision represents the best antidote to what ails us. Without a clear understanding of our situation, we can’t fix it. Books like this are, therefore, very important. Read it, and pass the word.