The Terror Dream: Myth and Misogyny in an Insecure America [Paperback]

Susan Faludi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0312428006 | ISBN-13: 978-0312428006 | Edition: First Edition

It has become clear over the years that the reaction of America's politicians and media to the attacks of 9/11 was bizarrely misdirected and dangerous to our national security. But no one has fully probed its cultural roots. Until now. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author Susan Faludi brilliantly demonstrates how our culture's seemingly inexplicable response was actually a reflex set centuries deep in the American grain. Her analysis of what went on in the months and years after 9/11 will shock even those who thought they knew the full measure of that tragedy (as her account of the post-9/11 media marketing of flight-suit superheroes, cowering "security moms,"  Jessica-Lynchesque helpless "girls," and Daniel Boone–wannabe politicians will outrage and amuse).

A masterwork of historical interpretation and a Rosetta stone for deciphering the ongoing spectacle of American politics, journalism, and culture, The Terror Dream flushes from hiding a forceful dynamic that disfigures our lives even in times of normalcy, and that, unless it is confronted, will send us reeling in a wrong direction the next time tragedy strikes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a book that had to be written, and only Susan Faludi could do it so brilliantly and engrossingly."--Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed

"Susan Faludi [is] a relentless reporter, an unapologetic feminist, and a brilliant scourge. . . . Feminism, like a trampoline, has made possible this splendid provocation of a book, levitating to keep company with Hunter Thompson's fear and loathing, Leslie Fielder's love and death, and Edmund Wilson's patriotic gore."--John Leonard, The New York Times Book Review

"Faludi has once again described the pushback, the demand to retain the straitjacketed roles that tell us what a man and a woman should be. With a rigorous insistence on truth, not comforting stories, Faludi proposes we can still awaken from the terror dream."--Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air

About the Author

Susan Faludi is the author of Stiffed and Backlash, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, among other publications. She lives in San Francisco.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Picador; First Edition edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312428006
• ISBN-13: 978-0312428006
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good and Thought Provoking, May 2, 2009

By 

monicae (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Terror Dream: Myth and Misogyny in an Insecure America (Paperback)

I thought the book was very good though flawed. Faludi offers a portrait of extremes and speaks in near absolutes. For example she says there were no stories of husbands/males being labeled as victims in the aftermath of 9/11. I remember several stories of both men and women at least in the early days of the coverage. Faludi uses facts that advance her viewpoint but sometimes leaves out or glosses over those that do not. It isn't necessary. The media at the time (and continues today IMO) was so notorious about shaping the narrative and hence the national mood, that it doesn't require that she ignore the few instances that they actually attempted to report accurately and substantively. Her assessment of Jessica Lynch was superficial and incomplete. The second half of the book though interesting, was really not tied together with the first half. There is an attempt to tie the reaction of the men in power today, to similar circumstances in pioneer days and early America. Perhaps to prove that the misogynistic tendencies of the power elite are cultural, indeed that our country is founded upon some of those principles. Too much history is not considered, and the events that she uses as examples are not even loosely similar to the catastrophic events of 9/11. It's apples and oranges. Though I think the points that she is making are quite valid, I don't think she proves her points in these comparisons.

I want to be clear that this is a very good, thought provoking book. I learned quite a bit about history and about much of what happened during the 9/11 days and things done afterward in the name of this tragedy. Most of this book comes from a perspective that I had not fully considered. An important perspective that deserves much more attention. It is good to know that people like Faludi are ever vigilant in identifying the often harmful, symbolic messaging that too often passes as mainstream thought and/or conventional wisdom. Additionally, it was very enlightening to understand the perspective of females which is clearly not readily available in most history books. This book is highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating piece of work!, March 31, 2009

By 

L. Halverson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Terror Dream: Myth and Misogyny in an Insecure America (Paperback)

Open minded readers will see Faludi's The Terror Dream as something to give us pause and think long and hard about. A highly recommended read, especially for those who want a deeper understanding as to why we continue to perpetuate gender roles in America.