A World of Ideas : Conversations With Thoughtful Men and Women About American Life Today and the Ideas Shaping Our Future [Paperback]

Bill Moyers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 1989

Conversations with thoughtful men and women about American life today and the ideas shaping our future.  Bill Moyers brings us one-on-one interviews with forty-two extraordinary men and women--poets and physicists, historians and novelists, doctors and philosophers--discussing what's happening in our lives, our hearts, and our minds as we approach a new millenium.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- Imagine sitting down with 41 noted philosophers, theologians, novelists, and natural and social scientists to talk about trends, dangers, and strengths in today's society. Moyers' edited transcripts of his PBS series provide the opportunity to do just that. Moyers' background as a political journalist is especially evident in his questions about moral and governmental leadership and the future of America, but, as he notes in his introduction, he is most concerned with gaining a broader perspective on issues and choices he must make as a family member and citizen. Teachers can use parts of each interview to spark class discussions, as topics for writing assignments, and to give insight into the characters of important contemporary thinkers.
- Alice Conlon, University of Houston
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

"The true conversation of democracy," says Moyers, "occurs not between politicians or pundits but across the entire spectrum of American life." This book is a compilation of the 41 interviews that Moyers conducted for his 1988 PBS TV series, an eclectic mix of authors, scientists, educators, and philosophers, including the late Barbara Tuchman on the lessons of history; Tom Wolfe on political activism on the local scale; and former New York Public Library Director Vartan Gregorian on how libraries remind one about "one's past, present, and most of the possibilities for the future." In an age of 30-second sound bites, these thoughtful discussions are welcome and important. Recommended. See also William F. Buckley's On the Firing Line: The Public Life of Our Public Figures , reviewed on p.90.
- Ed. -- Judy Quinn, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (April 26, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385263465
• ISBN-13: 978-0385263467
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful Book on New and Useful Ideas, June 30, 2000

By 

D. Leybman "Dima" (Fort Wayne, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A World of Ideas : Conversations With Thoughtful Men and Women About American Life Today and the Ideas Shaping Our Future (Paperback)

The book is roughly 512 pages long. It is formatted as an intervirew that Bill Moyers, the host has, with some of the most intellectually enlightening people of our generation. The book is divided into two sections: Our changing American Values and American Values in the New Global Society. The topics discussed usually correspond to thetheme of the section. The book is culiminated from the TV of the same name that ran on PBS for a time. Among the people profiled are Noam Chomsky, arguable one of the most important intellectuals alive, Isaac Asimov, (1920-1992)an extremely prolific writer of science and science fiction, E.L Doctorow and Joseph Heller, who sadly died in December of last year.

The book is essantially Bill Moyers talking with men and women on the topics on which they usually major or like to discuss in. For example, Bill had a candid interview with Chomsky on the idea of democracy and how propoganda is used in it. He discussed with Steven Weinberg, an influential scientist, some of the ideas behind behind science and how truly beutiful science really is. And others from Isaac Asimov talking about the future to a couple of different black writers and acadamians talking about the role of racism in society and how it can be overcome.

This book is great for many reasons. One of them is the fact that it does, in my opinion of course, portray not just one side of the argument but in some senses it brings differnt people of different views and let them in a sense talk about things and look at things in a different way from what the other person said. There is a wealth of information. Plus, this book isn't "liberal" or "conservative." Its a book that presents a lot of different views. Most importantly it allows people to get and understand new ideas that could help them understand the world around them more and especially from people who have spent their whole life devoted to that topic. This book is like a dinner conversation with some of the most genius men of the past 20 or 30 years.

The ideas covered here are ideas from how life is led, to the problem with our educational system. It aint just about boring things that "an average Joe" wouldn't care about. I believe that this book can be very insightful even for the average intellect reader.

So buy this book and prepare to be immersed in incredible ideas and thoughts that could help you support or maybe change your own.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Collection Of Interesting Interviews By Moyers!, November 22, 2003

By 

Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A World of Ideas : Conversations With Thoughtful Men and Women About American Life Today and the Ideas Shaping Our Future (Paperback)

This wonderful large print coffee table-sized effort by the inimitable Bill Moyers is a spin-of from the wonderful PBS TV series, and showcases the intellectual thoughts and perspectives of more than forty intriguing and perceptive individuals, all intimately involved in the mainstream of American life in fashion or another. One fo the most fascinating aspects of the book is the wild variety of people he has chosen, from preeminent black sociologist William Julius Wilson to novelist Joseph Heller, from film-maker David Putnamm to linguist Noam Chomsky, from geneticist Maxine Singer to historian Barabara Tuchman. What they have to say, and the pointedly intriguing questions Moyers has the unique insight to ask makes the interviews fairly sing with purpose and the verve of provocative thinkers.

Moreover, one certainly has to give Bill Moyers due credit for having many intriguing and innovative ideas. Given the various television series and books he has produced over the last several decades, he is by far one of the most prolific contributors and critics of the American social and cultural scene. This particular book, as well as the sequel that followed it, represents another fascinating look at an eclectic collection of seminal thinkers, some three dozen or so dozen or so academics, statesmen, and luminaries whose thoughts, ideas, and perspectives help the rest of us to better understand and appreciate the power of the world of ideas.

I read somewhere that Moyers thought it would be immensely beneficial at this point in the secular history of the republic to have a kind of old-fashioned chautaugua series of public discussions featuring such intellectuals as a way of sparking further discussion and debate about the most basic and yet enduring aspects of democracy itself, and wanted to further the flow of ideas within the public realm. Herein, as with the second marvelous offering, he has succeeded quite marvelously, and what has been rendered for your reading pleasure and edification is worthwhile indeed.

In doing so Moyers opens up the possibility for both television (the series was originally a very popular series) as well in printed format to become instruments of more meaningful communication. Many of the discussions center around Moyers' own concerns for the state of the polity, but also range from discussions about personal morality to more family-oriented concerns. This is a lovely book full of thought-provoking conversations with people you would love to have facing you across the living room coffee table. Enjoy!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fans of Bill Moyers and NPR, October 26, 2003

By 

Edvard Redding Richards (Scottsdale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bill Moyers' World of Ideas (Hardcover)

For fans of Bill Moyers and NPR style of reporting, Moyers digs deep into the psyche of the American Soul in terms of what is troubling all of us no matter what psychodemographic levels that we reside on. Thought provoking. You will never look at the world in the same way again.

Edvard Redding Richards
Author of Fire Your IRA !