N.A. Ratnayake

I cannot apply a sixth star to this book, which prompts me to seriously consider re-normalizing all other ratings in my library to accommodate the fact that I was forced by the design of this site to apply only five.

The tone and vocabulary are fairly intellectual and elevated, and as a consequence the book may seem initially too dense to be of any profound value. I would recommend at least a basic awareness of the major subjects in American history (particularly Civil War and immediately following), post-Enlightenment philosophy (Kant, Hegel), theories of jurisprudence, the social impact and context of Darwinism and Determinism, and the development of subcultures in America as pre-requisites for a more complete reading of this book and what (I believe) it implies.

This is a fantastic introduction to the foundations of what I would consider modern progressive thought in America.