The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture

by Wendell Berry

Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2015

About the author

Wendell Berry is a conservationist, farmer, essayist, novelist, professor of English and poet. He was born August 5, 1934 in Henry County, Kentucky where he now lives on a farm. The New York Times has called Berry the "prophet of rural America."

Reviews

[Jake Kellock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and found myself audibly going “mmm” several times, so he must have made some good points. Some of the people Wendell Berry criticized in this book had funny names (such as former Secretary of Agriculture Rusty Butz), and Nick Offerman did a good job reading these names. 5 stars.

[Joseph Elefante · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Piercing Criticism of Separation and Scale

Berry, with his typically gorgeous prose, levels a searing critique at modern “agribusiness.” But, more fundamentally, he examines our culture of separation: spirit from mind, mind from body, body from earth, etc. He also questions our ignorance of the consequences of scale, and our assumption that “more” - technology, production, profit - is always better. With “Unsettling,” Berry inspires us to think about our relationship and responsibility to the land, our food, and each other. This is among the best and most timeless critiques of modernity I have ever read. I couldn’t recommend this book more highly.

[Derek Seifert]

One of the most thought provoking books about society, culture, and how the American government treats land/agriculture issues. A must read for anyone looking to understand the cultural ethic of rural America.