Imagine: What America Could Be in the 21st Century

Rating:
Summary: Utopia Means "Nowhere"
Review: We can all agree that the world would be a nicer place with more personal connection, a real sense of community, freedom to pursue dreams, security to safeguard those dreams, pluralistic tolerance, etc, etc. I do. But in a haphazard series of essys, beyond platitudes and some bad science fiction, I see little in the way of real thinking about the problems that confront the world, or well-reasoned, rigorously analytical responses to those problems. Instead, they range from the laughable to the dangerous--see one author proposing a monolithic Department of Peace with millions of officers devoted to everything from crime to regulation of interpersonal communication to domestic life to workplace interactions. How can somebody who claims allegience to personal freedom cry out for something so Orwellian? These liberal-minded egalitarian essayists would invest more unilateral power in government than John Ashcroft ever had wet dreams about.

The prose, often stilted, blowsy, pretentious or oblivious to its own ridiculousness, is workmanlike. To those that seek out the book, the pronouncements will be comforting. The implementation of its ideas--imagine!--will not be.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most inspiring books I've read
Review: With all the unrest in our world today such as the challenges in health care, education and politics, this book comes along and gives hope for a great future. It's time for a paradigm shift and this book is written to show us new ways of thinking about our culture. Some of our greatest contemporary writers and teachers contribute their wisdom in this great book. Thank you Marianne Williamson for having the vision to put together this inspiring book!