cover image A Visionary Nation: Four Centuries of American Dreams and What Lies Ahead

A Visionary Nation: Four Centuries of American Dreams and What Lies Ahead

Zachary Karabell. HarperCollins Publishers, $26 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-380-97857-1

""The magical fusion of the Web, the computer, and the stock market is a unique product of our cultural moment; the presence of visionaries who believe that they are fundamentally transforming culture is not,"" writes Zachary Karabell (The Last Campaign: How Harry Truman Won the 1948 Election) in A Visionary Nation: Four Centuries of American Dreams and What Lies Ahead. He traces the visionary drive behind U.S. evolution from the Puritans' city on a hillto westward expansion and Carnegie's ""Gospel of Wealth""; governmental growth precipitated by Teddy Roosevelt and realized under the New Deal; and the 1990s New Economy. Lastly, Karabell predicts three possible global scenarios: more people will make more money until ""the rewards will be diffused throughout society""; the stock market will collapse, with all the attendant losses; or ""the New Economy doesn't collapse but also doesn't fulfill its incredible promise"" (see scenario one). Perceptive, edgy and articulate, Karabell embodies the voice and perspective (tempered by considerable historical research) of millions of 20- and 30-something intellectuals and professionals. ( July)