America Now

Title : America Now

Writer : Marvin Harris

Year : 1981

Language : English

Well, America today is struggling in dealing with the higher fuel oil price, higher living costs, and still, Iraq War. Well, if you’re asking why they happen, then the answer is easy, they make it so. To make it clear, their government makes it so. This book is not the provider of the correct answer of America’s economic crisis today, but from this book, we can see the history of why American people and, of course, government always make their own crisis.

America Now written by Marvin Harris is a ‘why’ book. The writer wrote it not to give such a solution or something, but to show the readers why America is the way America today. It was indeed published in 1981. Nevertheless, it can be still related to America’s problems in this era.

Shortly, the book tells us why the dollars was shrinking, why many women got out of home and worked outside, why there are many terrors on the streets, why the gay community finally showed themselves, and why it emerged many new cults. Those things had change America, and also maybe…have changed America. One of the most interesting things revealed in the book is the writer’s explanation of why feminism came out and roared more loudly there in America, in late 1970s and 1980s. Let me try to explain. American feminism had emerged in late 1800s but it was still quiet. Later on, feminism became something which burst out and stronger. Why?? The writer reveals that it might have a close relation with the inflation at that time. The bad American economic condition at that time forced women to get jobs outside home to gain more money. Even their wages were still lower than the men’s, but they could use the money to cover the high living costs. By this work-outside-movement, women were yelling for their other rights, such as not having babies, being lesbian, so on. And…how could the American economic condition be bad at that time?? You should really read the book by yourself.

The writer indeed has revealed so many interesting analyses that they shocked me! I never ever thought that American condition in late 1900s could be that way, and might be caused by those amazing and unbelievable things. People may not agree with the writer. For some points, I do not agree too. However, the book is still interesting to study about America and why there are so many unbelievable things happen to them, happen in their land.

Rating : 3