A New York Times columnist diagnoses the sense of futility that pervades the modern conditionâhow we got here, how long our age of frustration might last, and how, whether in renaissance or catastrophe, our decadence might ultimately end.
What The Reviewers Say
Rod Dreher,
The American Conservative
Douthat’s message is that we are indeed in an era of stagnation and paralysis on many fronts, but that does not mean that we are facing collapse.
Mark Lilla,
The New York Times Book Review
... clever and stimulating.
Christian Lorentzen,
Bookforum
The book is descriptive and diagnostic.
Daniel Oppenheimer,
The Washington Post
It’s disappointing but not terribly shocking that [Douthat's] great strengths as a short-form opinion writer, his genius for synthesis and his extraordinary judiciousness, become limiting flaws in his new book.