Given the cynicism rampant in America today, Jedediah Purdy's endeavor may seem quixotic. But he persuasively argues the necessity and satisfactions of social and political reengagement and of renewed attention to the "common things" we all have a stake in: the environment, education, culture, law, and government. Drawing on a wide range of sources - from Thoreau to Seinfeld - he contemplates such questions as the use of irony in popular culture, the breakdown of our political processes, and the moral and legal dilemmas posed by technological advances. In these and other discussions, he lures us away from disbelief and detachment toward a sincere devotion to the healing and betterment of society.
Jedediah Purdy was born and raised on a hillside farm in Chloe, West Virginia. Home-educated until he entered Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire at fourteen, he returned to West Virginia after graduating and spent a yeat working in environmental politics, dividing his time between public policy and community work. Purdy attended college at Harvard, and since finishing his degree has concentrated on writing essays on culture and politics. He is studying law, environment, and social values at Yale.
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