For Common Things: Irony, Trust, and Commitment in America Today

Jedediah Purdy calls For Common Things his "letter of love for the world's possibilities." Indeed, these pages—which garnered a flurry of attention among readers and in the media—constitute a passionate and persuasive testament to the value of political, social, and community reengagement. Drawing on a wide range of literary and cultural influences—from the writings of Montaigne and Thoreau to the recent popularity of empty entertainment and breathless chroniclers of the technological …