gimley reviewed Rendezvous with Oblivion by Thomas Frank
Review of 'Rendezvous with Oblivion' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I'm a big fan of the author but when he reads his own words in the audiobook version, it's almost as if he doesn't think we'll get the joke if he doesn't signal with his voice that it's meant to be funny. In fact, it more often ruined the joke to do that so I'd like to suggest you stick with the old fashion text version of this book, at least for the first half.
I'm not sure if civilization is collapsing or if it's been crumbling for years but the current rot is merely more apparent to us. The individual situations differ, of course, but though, for example, the university has certainly devolved in the many ways outlined in the essay American Fight Song, we need to also remember some of the awful ways it used to be that are no longer the case. Admission of minorities, or even …
I'm a big fan of the author but when he reads his own words in the audiobook version, it's almost as if he doesn't think we'll get the joke if he doesn't signal with his voice that it's meant to be funny. In fact, it more often ruined the joke to do that so I'd like to suggest you stick with the old fashion text version of this book, at least for the first half.
I'm not sure if civilization is collapsing or if it's been crumbling for years but the current rot is merely more apparent to us. The individual situations differ, of course, but though, for example, the university has certainly devolved in the many ways outlined in the essay American Fight Song, we need to also remember some of the awful ways it used to be that are no longer the case. Admission of minorities, or even merely those of the wrong class, used to rarely happen at all back when America was great. And even though you were taught by actual scholars instead of adjuncts, some of those scholars didn't communicate as well as they did research. I've been an adjunct and though I'm aware that I was being underpaid, I could teach a better course than many having tenure.
Similarly, Trump being president may represent a new low or may merely be what was always present becoming less hidden because Trump is incapable or unwilling to hide who he is. Never the less, I wish I could make everyone read the final chapter America Made Great Again in which Frank spells out Trump’s potential path to reelection as president of the United States for a second term.
