Customer Reviews

The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress

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Chris Hedges defies easy categories: he's part journalist, part poet, part zen master -- always with his finger pointing toward the (often very painful) truth. I consider him to be among the very best living writers.

Hedges' work is a downer. Sometimes I read his columns and his books, and I am filled with paralyzing fright and sadness. He knows how bad the world is; he can articulate the horrors of war, greed, capitalism, corporate power, etc. ad nauseum in a way that is visceral and devastating. I know of no other writer who speaks the truth in such a dense, but accessible and compassionate way.

I am grateful to Chris Hedges. His books and columns have transformed me -- changed both my personal habits and outlook. The World As It Is is filled with wisdom, sanity and unsettling truth -- a truth we are wise to not only embrace but act upon before the world descends into a place from which there is no escape.

My description might sound bleak (ahhhh, but: the world is bleak, if we choose to see 'the world as it is'), but Chris Hedges doesn't blather on about hopelessness and despair; he states the truth as if we might choose a different way of life -- one that respects our fellow citizens and the planet we live on. Hedges knows the world we live in is filled with enormous pain and suffering, and also that there's another way. His sobering work has the power to nudge us in the right direction.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Chris Hedges is one of the most creative American writers today. I have read his columns regularly on the Truthdig web site. Why is this book important? It is important because it represents a truly prophetic vision of where we are headed. He points out many of the truly malevolent aspects of today's modern plutocratic world system and the need to confront them. I am less pessimistic than he is about the prospects for reform in the Democratic Party in the U.S.. As a reporter for the New York Times in the Middle East and Bosnia, he saw the fury of religious war first hand. He has a unique insight into the world that is likely to come as things collapse. The power of the misuse of religion will be a major factor. He wrote a very interesting book on the religious right called American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. He also wrote a good book on the failure of the liberal establishment in America Death of the Liberal Class... You may not agree with everything he says. I don't. However, he is a unique and creative voice of integrity. You can get a good idea of what's here by clicking on some parts of the book you can read on Amazon. Check this out.

While working as a civilian contractor in Iraq I read Chris' book "War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning". It affected me deeply and confirmed my exact feelings about what I was seeing over there. This new book is another excellent one. Why can't a deep thinker like this be in charge of our foreign policy instead of egotistical politicians who constantly play games? When people started hypnotically and robotically chanting "U...S...A.....U...S...A" the other night, it reaffirmed that we are in a period of psychotic patriotic hype that Mr. Hedges has written so presciently about.

This book, The Word As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress, is highly readable. For those who are not afraid to face the stark political and
social dilemmas that confront the human community, this book is a must. It challenges the reader to ask: "What can I do in my local situation that might make a difference in our world?" The writer is radical in his perceptions and candid in his analysis. Nevertheless, the book leaves the reader with hope. I
recommend this book.

This book is a collection of Hedges insightful commentaries on current affairs. He comes from a unique perspective of one with a solid education in religious studies and the humanities topped off by real world experience in foreign wars and the not-so-obvious war zones in US politics and society. This allows Hedges to speak with an authentic prophetic voice that makes the reader sit up and pay attention. It's a book to share but not give away as you'll want to keep it on your shelves in a prominant place to read again and again.

For people who are fans of Hedges and/or tired of the two-party duopoly, this book needs no introduction, just reading.

For those of you curious about Hedges, but unfamiliar with the degree to which both parties allow big biz to rape America, U.S. inflammations of problems around the world with its imperialism, etc. ... this book needs a read.

That said, Hedges more than once makes reference to his religious beliefs, while at the same time indicating that the content of those beliefs is probably pretty tenuous. And, given that, under provocation of some Gnu Atheists, he pretty much ripped *all* atheists in a book before this, Chris should have included, in such an intro, comments on what his religious beliefs are, how they've evolved, what role he sees religion has if there's not an omnipotent deity (he doesn't believe in one himself), etc.

Also in said extended intro, to alleviate the depression factor, it would have been good to h ear suggestions for what we can do (other than something like voting Green) to fight back.

Teh columns are good ... but ... this could have been more!

Potential buyers should know up front: this is a collection of essays. This isn't at all apparent, so I wanted to post a quick review to make that clear.

Not that there's anything wrong with essays. But to title the book in the present tense ("..As It Is") is a bit misleading, I think. The subtitle is even more dissembling: "Dispatches from the Myth of Human Progress." The word "dispatch" does hint that the book contains articles. But it's a stretch to say these essays explicate a coherent theory.

I'd love to read a book which talks about the current state of the world, and how we are mistaken in believing in the myth of progress. This is not such a book. Instead, it's a collection of essays formerly posted online (blog postings, essentially) on Truthdig.com. For free. What you're paying for here is a nice convenient repackaging of freely available content. Content written back in 2008 in some cases. Certainly not current or timely. This is a look at the World As It Was.

The world as it is consists of unethical publishers repurposing old content to make a quick buck. That's old news, friends.

I picked up a book by Chris Hedges in the library
over a year ago just by chance have been hooked
on his writings ever since...
His insights about our world are spot on and
knowledge is impressive....
I don't write a lot of reviews but I would suggest
reading everything you can get your hands on by Chris Hedges.
Check out his blog at TruthDig also

These recent critiques of our times are accurate and accessible in addition to being necessary to educate those befuddled minds that wonder what happens when decades of poor decisions are made by our politicians and remain unchecked by the voters in this country.
The writing is dour and depressing- very much Hedges' voice- but resonating with a logic and appeal that keeps the pages turning. Certain to convert some centrists to the way of the left, in your heart you know he's right. He lines up the bandits, then indicts them one after the other. No one is safe- corporations, government- all end up convicted in Hedges' court. You want to start over-it's too difficult to fix our broken government. Perhaps his next works will reveal the anarchist/ revolutionary he seems to be evolving into. I for one, can't wait.

Chris Hedges seems able to see the big picture about our political world related to how the average person needs to be involved to have any impact on what may happen for the future. This book was written in 2009 yet he was predicting that the average person (called the 99% now) needs to demonstrate or just roll over and take whatever is dished out to them.
He could see all of this coming!