How did America reach its present state of striking dysfunctionality, and what can be done about it? Howard Burton offers his unique perspective on the raging culture war in the United States, vividly describing how Americans are increasingly falling prey to a culture of opinionated ignorance, while suggesting that a solution is nonetheless possible: simply harnessing the abundant genuine expertise that is quietly contained within its shores.
"... a treatise of exceptional conscientiousness, with each argument carefully formulated and then a series of defenses offered against potential criticisms." - David Hollinger, Preston Hotchkis Professor Emeritus, UC Berkeley
"Thrilling, unsettling, but ultimately hopeful and redemptive. Both an urgent and vital call to arms and a practical manual for front-line troops in the battle for kindness, significance, and downright survival." Charles Foster, Fellow of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford & author of the New York Times bestsellers Being a Beast and Being a Human
"... witty, provocative, and rigorous in its arguments. I loved it." - Heather Seggel, The Progressive Populist
The Chronicle for Higher Education: Howard's book is featured in the Chronicle report by senior editor Alexander C. Kafka, Managing Political Tensions: Strategies to counter hate, extremism, and violence on campus, in the section called A Critical Look at Critical Thinking.
The Hill: Why Americans are so angry at each other - and how you can break the cycle
The TeachThought Podcast: American Exceptionalism, Confusing Opinion With Knowledge