Reviews on George Packers Interesting Times Writings From a Turbulent Decade)

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Outset your review of Interesting Times: Writings from a Turbulent Decade

Jul 05, 2011 Bucket rated information technology information technology was amazing

This is a collection of essays Packer published during the outset decade of this, the 21st, century. For Packer, the decade equally a historical menstruum, really began on the morn after September 11th, 2001 and ended on Nov 4, 2008 when Barack Obama was elected president of the U.S. The essays Packer chose for this collection are about the war in Iraq, other parts of the earth where American influence was felt, "writers at war" (a group of essays focused on literary criticism and the opinions of This is a drove of essays Packer published during the showtime decade of this, the 21st, century. For Packer, the decade as a historical period, really began on the morning after September 11th, 2001 and concluded on November iv, 2008 when Barack Obama was elected president of the U.Due south. The essays Packer chose for this drove are about the state of war in Iraq, other parts of the globe where American influence was felt, "writers at war" (a group of essays focused on literary criticism and the opinions of writers nearly other writers), and the rise of a new liberalism that led to Obama'south ballot.

Overall, I enjoyed Packer's essays and institute the collection to form a pretty cohesive moving picture, perhaps with the exception of the Writers at War department. Though these essays were besides well-written and related well to each other, they were disconnected from the rest of the essays in the volume and interupted the full general flow from war and American influence around the world to the new rising of liberalism. Maybe this was purposeful and meant as a little interlude?

Anyhow, the rest of the essays were total of depth and each one offered an insight into the country of things only v-10 years ago. Packer characterizes the Iraq war every bit a "state of war for earth opinion, a state of war of ideas" that we were very much losing, in part considering we created "a revolution in the lives of Iraqis," releasing them, in effect, from a prison house, simply having no plan for what to practise next and who would lead once they emerged. Packer laments that, dissimilar other wars and social movements in our history, "the Republic of iraq state of war has had simply the slightest effect on American culture, including pop civilisation."

My favorite quotation from the book characterizes something that we alive daily during our increasingly polarized presidential elections, and that can easily be seen in the diverseness of contradictory 'facts' we notice in the media and online:

"The more confusing and contradictory reality becomes, the more than we cling to our fantasies of how things should be; facts, it turns out, tin exist far less stubborn things than opinions."

Packer goes on to land, in a later essay, that the globalization of media hasn't resulted in the "human bonds that were promised" and "have really made the world a less understanding, less tolerant identify." Situations like Sierra Leone only come to our attention when a journalist writes a story, and fifty-fifty then our solutions are self-focused, such as trying to adopt away kid victims from their parents instead of improving conditions in the country.

In discussing our irresolute political mural, Packer emphasizes that freedom (cultural liberty under Democrats, economic freedom under Republicans) has been the virtually important theme since the 1960s. And somewhere along the way the Democrats lost out considering voters stopped believing that "government could restore a sense of economical security." Only lately is this belief being revived.

Themes: politics, history, Iraq, U.S. policy, liberalism, public opinion

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George Packer
ΦBK, Yale, 1981

Writer

From the publisher: Throughout his career equally a announcer, George Packer has always been attuned to the voices and stories of individuals caught up in the big ideas and events of contemporary history. Interesting Times unites brilliant investigative pieces such every bit "Betrayed," virtually Iraqi interpreters, with personal essays and detailed narratives of travels through war zones and failed states. Spanning a decade that includes the September 11 attacks and the elect

George Packer
ΦBK, Yale, 1981
Writer

From the publisher: Throughout his career as a journalist, George Packer has e'er been attuned to the voices and stories of individuals defenseless up in the big ideas and events of gimmicky history. Interesting Times unites vivid investigative pieces such equally "Betrayed," about Iraqi interpreters, with personal essays and detailed narratives of travels through war zones and failed states. Spanning a decade that includes the September eleven attacks and the election of Barack Obama, Packer brings insight and passion to his accounts of the state of war on terror,Iraq, political writers, and the 2008 election. Across these varied subjects a few keythemes recur: the temptations and dangers of idealism; the moral complexities of war and politics; the American chapters for self-blinding and self-renewal.

Whether exploring American policies in the wake of September xi, tracking a used T-shirt from New York to Republic of uganda, or describing the clashing response in Appalachia to Obama, these essays hold a mirror up to our own troubled times and showcase Packer'south unmistakable perspective, which is at once both wide-angled and humane.

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I dear Packer's journalism only it feels a little dated. The outset half is bang-up as each commodity on the Iraq State of war provides an interesting chronology of that debacle, merely the back one-half is less interesting and the articles on 2008 feel so naive in retrospect. Not really a critique on the volume, a lot only didn't age well. I dearest Packer's journalism merely information technology feels a little dated. The first half is great as each article on the Iraq State of war provides an interesting chronology of that debacle, simply the back half is less interesting and the manufactures on 2008 experience then naive in hindsight. Not actually a critique on the book, a lot but didn't age well. ...more

Nov 12, 2010 Tim rated it liked it

interesting collection, and i like his writing, and have liked his by writings. but i'1000 non sure these essays will age terribly well. yes, they are a great capture of the politics of the time, but the politics of the time are not very interesting when, say, it's 2003 and nosotros've just gone to war with republic of iraq and the writer is discussing the ways the war could go. interesting times, but improve to leave those times in the past. interesting drove, and i similar his writing, and have liked his past writings. but i'm not sure these essays will age terribly well. yes, they are a groovy capture of the politics of the fourth dimension, only the politics of the time are not very interesting when, say, it'south 2003 and we've just gone to war with republic of iraq and the author is discussing the means the war could become. interesting times, but better to leave those times in the past. ...more

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