
The Decadent Society
How We Became a Victim of Our Own Success
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Narrated by:
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Ross Douthat
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By:
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Ross Douthat
From the New York Times columnist and best-selling author of Bad Religion, a powerful portrait of how our wealthy, successful society has passed into an age of gridlock, stalemate, public failure, and private despair.
The era of the coronavirus has tested America, and our leaders and institutions have conspicuously failed. That failure shouldn’t be surprising: Beneath social-media frenzy and reality-television politics, our era’s deep truths are elite incompetence, cultural exhaustion, and the flight from reality into fantasy. Casting a cold eye on these trends, The Decadent Society explains what happens when a powerful society ceases advancing - how the combination of wealth and technological proficiency with economic stagnation, political stalemate, and demographic decline creates a unique civilizational crisis.
Ranging from the futility of our ideological debates to the repetitions of our pop culture, from the decline of sex and childbearing to the escapism of drug use, Ross Douthat argues that our age is defined by disappointment - by the feeling that all the frontiers are closed, that the paths forward lead only to the grave. Correcting both optimism and despair, Douthat provides an enlightening explanation of how we got here, how long our frustrations might last, and how, in renaissance or catastrophe, our decadence might ultimately end.
©2020 Ross Douthat (P)2020 Simon & Schuster AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















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Glad I listened to this book -
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Thoughtful and Challenging
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Brilliant insight
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So well-read, profound and thought-provoking, told with sharp wit and disarming humor. A small masterpiece.
Brilliant analysis, sharp, refreshing
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Excellent book!!
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Timing
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The book is immensely pleasurable, and full of fascinating observations on the state of the Western world today, where it may be headed, what it's going through, and what options appear on the horizon. What does it mean when the Pentagon releases what it claims to be possible UFOs? Will it turn to Islam as the final savior from the abyss of malaise, dread and confusion? Why are there so many manifestations of fatigue and decadence in our civilization that we still don't see clearly, and just blithely dismiss? How is the rise of China and Africa going to affect the political, cultural and religious characters of Western society? And other fascinating topics.
Douthat's observations are original and enjoyable to think about. His thoughts are meaningful and make a lot of sense, you will find it impossible to stop listening/reading, and will continue till the end thanks to his originality and entertaining writing style (oh and great narration too). What a pleasure this book is.
Captivating book, and very well written
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A look in the mirror, and into the future
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Yuliya
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thought provoking
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