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The Virtue of Prosperity: Finding Values in an Age of Techno-Affluence
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 301
EAN: 9780684868158
ISBN: 0684868156
Label: Free Press
Manufacturer: Free Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: October 30, 2001
Publisher: Free Press
Release Date: October 30, 2001
Studio: Free Press
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Editorial Review:
The chief problem societies have faced "since the time of the Babylonians," writes Dinesh D'Souza, has been the problem of scarcity. "But now that age has passed, and America has a new problem: coping with prosperity." It's a good problem to have, but also a serious, even debilitating, one. "The moral conundrum of success," the author continues, means that all too often, "the body is flourishing, but somehow the soul still feels malnourished." D'Souza is well known for his bestselling conservative books Illiberal Education, The End of Racism, and Ronald Reagan. On these pages, however, he seems to set politics aside to ask deep questions about the meaning of life in a world of material abundance: What is my life for? As affluence spreads ... hundreds of millions of people will be asking just this question. That they can ask it is in and of itself a great moral achievement, because it opens up to innumerable ordinary people the avenues of human fulfillment that were previously open only to aristocrats. Yet at the same time it is a strangely disquieting question, because there is no complete answer to it within the modern techno-capitalist framework. The Founders promised "the pursuit of happiness," but they didn't explain where happiness can be found, or even what it is. D'Souza argues that it must not be found in materialism--in both the consumerist sense of the word as well as the philosophical one. In a time of unprecedented prosperity, of course, the temptation is to find happiness exactly there, and the threat is profound: materialism may "transform our very nature as human beings and possibly introduce a new species in the world, the posthuman." D'Souza does not welcome this prospect (and consequently sounds very conservative indeed). The Virtue of Prosperity is a bold and thoroughly engrossing book. Readers won't need to agree with every one of D'Souza's points to find his many digressions fascinating. Whether he's writing about an extravagant Silicon Valley party, describing the ideas of Richard Dawkins, or making a casual reference to Marcus Aurelius, he's at once erudite and accessible. It's not always clear where he's going with his ideas until he gets there, but he makes the journey a pure joy. --John J. Miller
In The Virtue of Prosperity, Dinesh D'Souza examines the spiritual and social crisis spawned by the new economy and new technologies of the last ten years. D'Souza questions the basic premise of the American dream that prosperity and "progress" will better the human condition. Anchored in history, rich in anecdote, and supported by state-of-the-art data, The Virtue of Prosperity is a tough-minded critique of our high-tech culture, with a surprising prescription for doing well and doing good.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Serious work on the stuff which really matters
It is an extremely good book. It does not make for casual bed-time reading as it discusses involved and abstruse concepts in a thoughtful, nuanced manner and consequently demands our full attention. No sooner had I finished the book the first time around, I picked it up again and leaved through it for the nuggets of wisdom.
The book brings to light a wide mélange of insights from a range of thinkers across the ideological spectrum on issues which ought to matter to modern humanity, ... Read More
Rating:  - Pre-9-11 & Enron; Falls Short. But Still Worth a Read
Bear in mind that Mr. D'Souza's book was written a year or so before the double horrors of 9-11 and Enron. Ever since then, the market has largely stagnated although it is gradually making a rebound after a three-year hiatus. D'Souza's exhaustive survey and analysis of the American economic landscape is commendable. He bases his resulting ideas on a thoughtful synthesis of the clash of economic cultures in America today. However, his work stills fall short. It has not taken into account the factors ... Read More
Rating: - Reporting from the bubble - but still has much to offer
I like Dinesh D'Souza. If you don't you probably won't like this book because he writes from himself with passion for his topic and point of view. While I don't agree with every point he makes, I find him worth reading and enjoyable to read.
This book had the misfortune to come out just after the Internet Bubble burst. He had to go around trying to sell the idea that it didn't matter and that his views would come about anyway. At the time, no one wanted to listen because they were too ... Read More
Rating: - A Great Read
Dinesh did it again with this piece of literary genius! Well maybe it isn't genius, but it is informative and entertaining.
In "The Virture of Prosperity" D'Souza makes an argument for capitalism based around the compassion that affluence had brought to this country. This book should counter every anti-globalization textbook in the classroom in order to provide a fair and balanced view of our supper-affluent society.
Relatively short, easy to read, and full of stats and figures to amaze ... Read More
Rating: - Capitalism Vindicated
Business people rank among the biggest victims of unfair criticism. Blamed for greed, exploitation and selfishness, business people generally fail to defend themselves or assert their positive status. Instead, they continue holding the country together through productive activity that generates tax revenues and high standards of living.
Thanks to a book by Dinesh D'Souza, they have a well-articulated defense of their status that extends beyond moneymaking. As D'Souza points out in The Virtue of Prosperity ... Read More
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