Review of 'Tocqueville and the American Experiment' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Exceeded all expectations, what a fantastic course. This is an overview of, and a great primer for, a book widely considered to be one of the greatest written on the United States.
What I liked about opting for a lecture series over reading the book first:
1. A lot of helpful backstory is included. Tocqueville's life, his profession, and the state of the US and France at the time are discussed.
2. Important passages are highlighted that would have otherwise went over my head. I've heard many times how challenging of a read Democracy in America is.
3. A 12 hour lecture series vs a 983 page book.
4. The professor does a great job of evaluating many of Tocqueville's observations and predictions about the US. He discusses what was accurate then, what still holds true, and why.
I was constantly amazed at how many nuances Tocqueville was able to …
Exceeded all expectations, what a fantastic course. This is an overview of, and a great primer for, a book widely considered to be one of the greatest written on the United States.
What I liked about opting for a lecture series over reading the book first:
1. A lot of helpful backstory is included. Tocqueville's life, his profession, and the state of the US and France at the time are discussed.
2. Important passages are highlighted that would have otherwise went over my head. I've heard many times how challenging of a read Democracy in America is.
3. A 12 hour lecture series vs a 983 page book.
4. The professor does a great job of evaluating many of Tocqueville's observations and predictions about the US. He discusses what was accurate then, what still holds true, and why.
I was constantly amazed at how many nuances Tocqueville was able to notice about America during his nine month visit. And even more how so many still apply today. Some main ideas discussed:
- The essentials of democracy, and America as a republic.
- Principal antidotes to despotism and aristocracy.
- Laws, the judicial system, and tyranny of the majority.
- Equality of condition, sameness, and centralization.
- American and European cultural differences.