American Vertigo by Bernard-Henri Levy

American Vertigo by Bernard-Henri Levy

What does it mean to be an American, and what can America be today? To answer these questions, celebrated philosopher and journalist Bernard-Henri L vy spent a year traveling throughout the country in the footsteps of another great Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, whose Democracy in America remains the most influential book ever written about our country.
The result is American Vertigo, a fascinating, wholly fresh look at a country we sometimes only think we know. From Rikers Island to Chicago mega-churches, from Muslim communities in Detroit to an Amish enclave in Iowa, L vy investigates issues at the heart of our democracy: the special nature of American patriotism, the coexistence of freedom and religion (including the religion of baseball), the prison system, the return of ideology and the health of our political institutions, and much more. He revisits and updates Tocqueville's most important beliefs, such as the dangers posed by the tyranny of the majority, explores what Europe and America have to learn from each other, and interprets what he sees with a novelist's eye and a philosopher's depth.
Through powerful interview-based portraits across the spectrum of the American people, from prison guards to clergymen, from Norman Mailer to Barack Obama, from Sharon Stone to Richard Holbrooke, L vy fills his book with a tapestry of American voices-some wise, some shocking. Both the grandeur and the hellish dimensions of American life are unflinchingly explored. And big themes emerge throughout, from the crucial choices America
faces today to the underlying reality that, unlike the Old World, America remains the fulfillment of the world's desire to worship, earn, and live as one wishes-a place, despite all, where inclusion remains not just an ideal but an actual practice.
At a time when Americans are anxious about how the world perceives them and, indeed, keen to make sense of themselves, a brilliant and sympathetic foreign observer has arrived to help us begin a new conversation about the meaning of America.

Vincent Darrü¾Ž–”¼ is a Paris-based artistic director and interior designer known for his maximalist interiors and Surrealist furnishings. His clientele includes Schiaparelli and Christian Louboutin, and he designed Andrü¾Ž–”¼ Saraiva's Le Montana nightclub in Paris and Le Baron in New York.

Marie-France Boyer is a journalist and author specializing in lifestyle, dü¾Ž–”¼cor, gardening, and travel. She represents The World of Interiors in Paris.

Bernard-Henri Lü¾Ž–”¼vy is a French philosopher, columnist, and author. His most recent work is The Spirit of Judaism (Random House, 2017).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781400064342
ISBN 10	1400064341
Title	American Vertigo
Author	Bernard Henri-Levy
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Random House (NY)
Year published	2006-02-13
Number of pages	308
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.