I'm enjoying George Trow's Within the Context of No Context although it is not the walk in the park I thought it would be. I do like the way he creeps up on the subject as though it was a wild animal, which is fitting. American culture can be so difficult to pin down. It's not as though we as Americans are invited to consider ourselves to be joined in a unified identity. The institution of rights or freedom begs disparateness. There are exceptions, of course. War unifies Americans very quickly if only for a moment. Joy in triumph, because Americans like to win. But our culture? Trow is either right or wrong on this one, but I can't judge him just yet.
Some favorite quotes thus far:
The most successful celebrities are products. Consider the real role in American life of Coca Cola. Is any man as well loved as this soft drink is?
The message of many things in America is "Like this or die". It is a strain.
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