Arguing that the ideology of freedom and equality today bears little resemblance to its eighteenth-century counterpart, Richard Stivers examines how these values have been radically transformed in a technological civilization. Once thought of as a kind of personal property and an aspect of the dignity of the individual, the context of freedom and equality today is technological before it is political and economic and is also now largely thought of in collective terms. Focusing on the work of Jacques Ellul and Max Weber, Stivers traces the development of freedom and equality in Enlightenment thought and American history and then proceeds to discuss their current ideologies, realities, and illusions.

Presents a collection of essays exploring varying viewpoints on America's future, discussing whether its lifestyle is sustainable, the potential for improvement, energy policy, and the role of technology.

An anecdotal history of the American experience explores the historical events, goals, movements, and factors that have shaped American culture and speculates on how the future will revolutionize American life. By the author of The Last Campaign. Reader's Guide available.

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Product Description: Whoever controls technology controls the future. While that prospect stings, it has a bright side. America's preeminence stems from a remarkable intertwining of technology and democracy. The Constitutions set the course. Technology provided the means...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: The rampant illnesses of our society―including the disintegration of the family, the degradation of the environment, unlimited commercialism, and unrelenting stress―are familiar to us all. For the first time, Stephen Bertman attempts to explain these disparate, overwhelmingly negative phenomena with a single, unifying principle: that the accelerated pace of American society is eroding the essence of our most fundamental values...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Discusses the possibility of nuclear war, government regulation, information technology, national security, the commercial development of outer space and international competition