{"product_id":"our-worst-strength-american-individualism-and-its-hidden-discontents","title":"Our Worst Strength: American Individualism and Its Hidden Discontents","description":"We are all settlers on our own personal frontiers.\n\nIt's our national way of life. Individualism. America has now taken individualism to its logical extreme like no other society on Earth. And the results are mixed. Radical autonomy without wisdom and lots of social support is a dangerous gift. It can even become a curse of self-destruction.\n\nThis book explores how individualism affects the five major domains of American life that comprise 80% of our waking time - work, fun, food, friends, and family.\n\nUsing fresh national research on older Americans' life experiences, his training as a cultural anthropologist, and his own awkward life experiences, Dr. Richardson has crafted a first-of-its-kind social history of the late 20th century and what it yielded to us as a nation.\n\nPart One - How to Make a Hyper-Individualistic Society in Seven Easy Steps\nPart Two - How It Became Awkward at Work\nPart Three - How We Got Lost in the American Fun-house\nPart Four - How We Came To Eat Whatever, Whenever\nPart Five - How We Turned Friends into Entertainment Devices\nPart Six - How We Shriveled the American Family\nPart Seven - The Future of Individualism in America\n\nDr. Richardson argues that individualism is not an inevitable way of life. We can take our gifts of autonomy and calibrate them to a more community-oriented future. We have to truly understand what we have before we make changes we would regret as a country.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: B0CX7F858Q\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.B0CX7F858Q.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Richardson, James\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact  including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43840708804669,"sku":"BVV.B0CX7F858Q.G","price":24.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/B0CX7F858Q-0.jpg?v=1792274043","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/our-worst-strength-american-individualism-and-its-hidden-discontents","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}