The Resurgence of the Real: Body, Nature, and Place in a Hypermodern World

In her far-ranging, in-depth study of the structure of contemporary alienation, Spretnak (The Spiritual Dimension of Green Politics) joins the ranks of gifted writers qua intellectual social analysts like Lewis Mumford. Economics, politics, history, sociology, aesthetics and psychology are brought to bear in support of her thesis: that finally, after four centuries of mind-body duality and mechanistic, scientific domination of Western culture, small, local grass-roots organizations are leading the way back to spiritually integrated wholeness for humanity. In this vision, the author develops a schema of social criticism that moves from the modern through the deconstructionist postmodern into the ecological postmodern era. In the latter phase, there is hope for a return to humanity. Examining today's unresolved nationalistic struggles such as in Bosnia and Serbia, citing poets, artists, composers and thinkers, Spretnak constructs her vision of modern reality. Some conservative skeptics may disagree with the author's interpretation of cultural history and human nature, but it cannot be discounted as an immature romantic, anti-technological, New Age-Luddite screed. Although much of the material studied is dense, Spretnak keeps her treatment lively, accessible and challenging. (May)