Cultural contradictions of capitalism (Perseus Books)

Since its original publication in 1976, "The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism" has been hailed as an intellectual tour de force that redefines how we think about the relationships among economics, culture and social change. Daniel Bell, the author of such other modern classics as "The End of Ideology" and "The Coming of Post Industrial Society," argues that the unbounded drive of modern capitalism undermines the moral foundations of the original Protestant ethic that ushered in capitalism itself. In a major new afterword, Bell offers a bracing perspective on contemporary Western society, from the end of the Cold War to the rise and fall of postmodernism, revealing the crucial cultural fault lines we face as the twenty first century approaches. Praise for the Twentieth Anniversary edition: "Daniel Bell is our lively, necessary sage. He sees our world clearly; he sees our world whole. The new edition of "The Cultural Contradictions of capitalism" enriches our culture and increases our store of wisdom, sanity, and humanity at a time when cheap opinion threatens them all." --Catherine R. Stimpson, University Professor, Rutgers University, and Director, Fellows Program, MacArthur Foundation "Daniel Bell has become our Jeremiah. But he doesn't rant. His blend of contemporary history and phrase-making sociology nails us squirming to the reckless culture we have spawned." --Roger Shattuck, President, the association of literary scholars and critics, and author of "Forbidden Knowledge" Praise for the original edition: "Bell's book is a work of synthesis and interpretation, ambitious, far-reaching and challenging at every turn....this book is a model of clarity andrelentless intelligence." -- "The Atlantic Monthly" "Others are entering similar pleas, but Bell's seems the most brightly argued." - "Time"