The Battle for the American Mind: A Brief History of a Nation's Thought [Hardcover]

Carl J. Richard (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0742534359 | ISBN-13: 978-0742534353 | Publication Date: October 8, 2004

The Battle for the American Mind brings together religion, politics, economics, science, and literature to present a compelling history of the American people. In this brief and entertaining book, noted historian Carl J. Richard argues that there have been three worldviews that have dominated American thought—theism, humanism, and skepticism. Theists put their faith in God, humanists in man, and skeptics have faith in neither god nor man. Each worldview has had an epoch of domination, leading to the present "Age of Confusion" where theists, humanists, and skeptics battle one another for control of American hearts and minds.

 

By clearly explaining what Americans believed, exploring why they did so, and showing how that impacted the nation's development, Carl J. Richard presents a unique portrait of the United States—past and present.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book, with its recognition that historical currents are often circular, would be a welcome addition to public libraries and undergraduate collections. (Library Journal )

Carl J. Richard's The Battle for the American Mind is a provocative, well-written interpretation of American intellectual history 'for general readers' that is designed to further discussion of ideas rather than answer all scholarly questions. . . . The book would be a solid assignment for undergraduates and an informative study for the general reader, Richard's intended audience.

(Tate, Adam L. The Journal Of Southern History )

An ambitious and original book. Instead of 'explaining' America from the perspective of gender, race, class, economics or some other social science, Richard talks about the influence of worldviews on the development of the United States and so casts an interesting light on the development of America from its European origins through the colonial period, the Founding and down to today.

(Kopff, E. Christian )

The author had a good thematic approach. (Cotkin, George The American Historical Review )

Succinct, incisive and selective, Carl Richard provides an engaging historical orientation to American intellectual life and its European antecedents. (Howe, Daniel Walker )

About the Author

Carl J. Richard is professor of history at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. He is the author of The Founders and the Classics and Twelve Greeks and Romans Who Changed the World. He lives in Broussard, Louisiana.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (October 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742534359
• ISBN-13: 978-0742534353
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,987,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lame, September 3, 2008

By 

Kevin G. (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle for the American Mind: A Brief History of a Nation's Thought (Paperback)

This book covers the basics. But it is lame. Why? Talks about Puritan intolerance but doesn't mention the execution of the Quakers. Talks about Darwinism but then goes on for two pages about criticisms of the theory by Phillip E. Johnson (1991)... oh the eye its so complicated, oh mutations are so often bad, therefore evolution isn't fully accepted. Talks about American biologists not fully accepting Darwinism until the 1930s. Presents Freud's psychology in the domain of skepticism and connected to Darwinism (I can think of no theoretical framework that is less skeptical than Freudian psychology). Complete lack of understanding when it comes to nationalism... and exceedingly simplistic reading of antiquity (which has nothing to do with nationalism) for instance:
"The decline and fall of the Roman Empire was due largely to the decline of patriotism and the rise of internationalism." (221)
I thought it had more to do with the value of specie, the incorporation of Germanic tribes into its frontier defense system, and the development of feudal roles.

Most of it is solid history, but there is a bit of misleading information and a few downright falsehoods scattered through the text. Thus: lame.