Book Review: Dark Age Ahead - Page 2

She is also quite concerned with what she calls the "credentialing" of the population at the expense of true education (in other words, the idea that a "degree" is important, regardless of what it means). She fears the spotty science often practiced without much care for scientific method or understanding of sociological impact of the surrounding culture, and she worries that important economic principles have been ignored regarding the collection and distribution of tax revenue in manners which actually render governments responsive and transparent to their citizens.

For Jacobs, these problems underscore a sense that our culture seems caught in a moment of crisis—uncertain of its moorings, and struggling in the dark toward what it may become. As she notes, at times it is difficult to tell for certain whether various forces are working for cultural life or death. She acknowledges this by asking:

Is suburban sprawl, with its murders of communities and wastes of land, time, and energy, a sign of decay? Or is a rising interest in means of overcoming sprawl a sign of vigor and adaptability in North American culture? Arguably, either could turn out to be true.

The book may ramble a bit, and the arguments don't always tie into her overarching premise; cultural shifts don't always represent cultural death. Still, Jacobs' pessimistic optimism (if there can be such a thing) is challenging without becoming irritating; she decries not the shifting demographics of the nation (as some do) but rather the impact of certain economic and social decisions. And she encourages the reader to remember those things which are in fact important: culture, community, and family, and hopes that the important pillars of culture can in fact emerge unscathed from our ongoing "jolts" to the system.

Author's Note: This article was originally posted at Wallo World.

Edited: PC

Article Author: Bill Wallo

Bill Wallo is a book and movie junkie.

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