Haven in a Heartless World

By Christopher Lasch

Book Overview

One of the earliest and sharpest cultural commentators to investigate the twentieth-century American family, Christopher Lasch argues in this book that as social science "experts" intrude more and more into our lives, the family's vital role as the moral and social cornerstone of society disintegrates--and, left unchecked, so does our political and personal freedom.

Mr. Lasch combines an analytic overview of the psychological and sociological literature on the American family with his own trenchant analysis of where the problem lies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393313034
• ISBN13: 9780393313031
• Release Date: May 1995
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Compelling social commentary

Compelling social commentary, and brilliantly written, perhaps not surprising since Lasch was not a social scientist, but rather a professor of English Literature, at Columbia if I recall right, but in any case, at one of the Ivy League colleges. Lasch became interested in social trends, and ended up writing this fine book on the decline and destruction of the family in American life. Although the book is 20 years old at this point, Lasch's ideas are if anything more relevant now than they were back in the 70's.

A familys' responsiblity for the shaping of society.

When people wonder why people turn in to who they are and form the society in wth which we live this book will help clarify things for them. If one wants a deep look at society's ills and its being formed by families, Christopher Lasch presents a very good insight, that for reasons of accuracy may not make everyone happy.