The World as It Is by Chris Hedges

The World as It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress by Chris Hedges This book of essay is dedicated: "For my children, Thomas, Noelle, Konrad, and Marina, whose joy and laughter save me from despair and for whom I must alway hope" I was very glad to read this dedication because the book is very bleak. It's good that he does have some hope and relief from despair. I found myself alternately avidly shaking my head in agreement and slamming the book shut determining that he's just too negative and who needs more of that! The bottom line is that he uncompromisingly states the facts that our democracy is in jeopardy from our corporate purchased political system, to our state of perpetual war to feed the military-industrial complex, to our destruction of the natural environment which supports life on earth.  I'd love to be able to argue against him but I can't--he's right.   If you've ever wondered about the direction of our political system, wondered why we move from one war to the next to the next, or if we are totally insane to be destroying the life sustaining systems on earth, you'll want to read this book. You may want to double up on your anti-depressant medications though.