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The Shock of the Global: The 1970s in Perspective

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The 70s. An era sandwiched between the chaotic hedonism of the 60s and the finanical hedonism of the 80s. A 10 year span that began with the Kent State police-state murders and had the BeeGees, Watergate, Pol Pot, Ayatollah Khomeini, Obi Wan Kenobi and Jonestown sprinkled in before the drama-filled year of 1979 ( year, in fact, that merits its own book.) This collection of essays has, like all such books, some good and some not so hot entries. I generally found the economic ones a snoozefest (though the revelation that securitized mortgages started in 1970 was interesting) but the best ones concerned global politics, interdependence and security issues. The eradication of smallpox, a triumph of both medicine and Cold war superpower cooperation, is heralded as an example of the harmonization of human interest, though the author notes this was an under-the-radar low budget program that no one bothered to politicize. Sexual, feminist and decolonization liberation movements are discussed as being the natural successors of the 1960s cultural revolutions, and even rock music's groupie followings are discussed in this context. Overall, for any contemporary history buff, a must read. You may not agree with all of the essayists (the obvious apologist for Kissinger ignored so many of his evil legacies I almost thought he was referring to some alternate universe bizarro Kissinger), but hey, that's what historians are for, controversies, thought provocation and debate.