Grasping for the Wind

Description

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana.

Grasping for the Wind is an incisive and powerful analysis of 20th century Western civilization; what historical and cultural forces have shaped it and where it is headed. From Rembrandt, to the French Revolution, to Marilyn Monroe, to Martin Luther King, to the Beatles, to Stanley Kubrick, to MTV, to the Internet and beyond, John W. Whitehead reveals the threads of influence that weave this present age.

Writing from a third-millennial vantage point, Whitehead examines the progressive, unfolding interweaving of religion, philosophy, politics, the arts, psychology and sociology. He explores the impact of jazz on sexual liberation… how World War II made death invisible, abstract and indiscriminate… the impact of novelists on the upheavals of the 1960s… the protest movement of America’s youth and the forces behind it, such as Bob Dylan… how the Beatles heralded change and offered hope to the youth culture.. how technology continues to blur the line between humans and machines… and much more.

Grasping for the Wind is essential reading for all who seek to better understand the questions that continue to haunt our civilization, and for anyone interested in popular culture and its development.