Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community

Paperback, 208 pages

English language

Published Sept. 13, 1994 by Pantheon.

ISBN:: 978-0-679-75651-4

(1 review)

In this collection of essays, first published in 1993, Wendell Berry continues his work as one of America's most necessary social commentators. With wisdom and clear, ringing prose, he tackles head-on some of the most difficult problems confronting us near the end of the twentieth century––problems we still face today.

Berry elucidates connections between sexual brutality and economic brutality, and the role of art and free speech. He forcefully addresses America's unabashed pursuit of self-liberation, which he says is "still the strongest force now operating in our society." As individuals turn away from their community, they conform to a "rootless and placeless monoculture of commercial expectations and products," buying into the very economic system that is destroying the earth, our communities, and all they represent.

2 editions

Sean Bala reviewed Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community by Wendell Berry

Review of 'Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A great collection of Wendell Berry essays. I particularly enjoyed "The Joy of Sales Resistance," "Conservation and Local Economy," "Christianity and the Survival of Creation," and the title essay "Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community." The title essay posits the existence of a concept called "community" that exists tied to a specific place and mediates between the individual and the nation, keeping them in balance. One very challenging essay is "The Problem of Tobacco." Here Berry shows that while it is a good thing that tobacco production is declining because of the growing realization of the health effects of smoking, he points out that something is lost in its demise, namely the community labor that went into tobacco growing and harvesting, which is quite labor intensive. In some ways, this essay embodies one of Berry's central themes: the connection between culture and agriculture. The reason I don't rate the collection higher …

A great collection of Wendell Berry essays. I particularly enjoyed "The Joy of Sales Resistance," "Conservation and Local Economy," "Christianity and the Survival of Creation," and the title essay "Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community." The title essay posits the existence of a concept called "community" that exists tied to a specific place and mediates between the individual and the nation, keeping them in balance. One very challenging essay is "The Problem of Tobacco." Here Berry shows that while it is a good thing that tobacco production is declining because of the growing realization of the health effects of smoking, he points out that something is lost in its demise, namely the community labor that went into tobacco growing and harvesting, which is quite labor intensive. In some ways, this essay embodies one of Berry's central themes: the connection between culture and agriculture. The reason I don't rate the collection higher is that some of the essays (written around 1990) feel dated but that does not take away from their strength.

Subjects

Politics / Current Events
Politics/International Relations
Anthropology - Cultural
Government - U.S. Government
Sociology - General
Current Events / American
Politics - Current Events