The Virtue of Prosperity: Finding Values in an Age of Techno-Affluence

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The chief problem societies have faced "since the time of the Babylonians," writes Dinesh D'Souza, has been the problem of scarcity. "But now that age has passed, and America has a new problem: coping with prosperity." It's a good problem to have, but also a serious, even debilitating, one. "The moral conundrum of success," the author continues, means that all too often, "the body is flourishing, but somehow the soul still feels malnourished." D'Souza is well known for his bestselling conservative books Illiberal Education, The End of Racism, and Ronald Reagan. On these pages, however, he seems to set politics aside to ask deep questions about the meaning of life in a world of material abundance:

What is my life for? As affluence spreads ... hundreds of millions of people will be asking just this question. That they can ask it is in and of itself a great moral achievement, because it opens up to innumerable ordinary people the avenues of human fulfillment that were previously open only to aristocrats. Yet at the same time it is a strangely disquieting question, because there is no complete answer to it within the modern techno-capitalist framework.

The Founders promised "the pursuit of happiness," but they didn't explain where happiness can be found, or even what it is. D'Souza argues that it must not be found in materialism--in both the consumerist sense of the word as well as the philosophical one. In a time of unprecedented prosperity, of course, the temptation is to find happiness exactly there, and the threat is profound: materialism may "transform our very nature as human beings and possibly introduce a new species in the world, the posthuman." D'Souza does not welcome this prospect (and consequently sounds very conservative indeed). The Virtue of Prosperity is a bold and thoroughly engrossing book. Readers won't need to agree with every one of D'Souza's points to find his many digressions fascinating. Whether he's writing about an extravagant Silicon Valley party, describing the ideas of Richard Dawkins, or making a casual reference to Marcus Aurelius, he's at once erudite and accessible. It's not always clear where he's going with his ideas until he gets there, but he makes the journey a pure joy. --John J. Miller

Book Description

In The Virtue of Prosperity, Dinesh D'Souza examines the spiritual and social crisis spawned by the new economy and new technologies of the last ten years. D'Souza questions the basic premise of the American dream that prosperity and "progress" will better the human condition. Anchored in history, rich in anecdote, and supported by state-of-the-art data, The Virtue of Prosperity is a tough-minded critique of our high-tech culture, with a surprising prescription for doing well and doing good.

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"In The Virtue of Prosperity, Dinesh D'Souza examines the spiritual and social crisis spawned by the new economy and new technologies of the last ten years. D'Souza questions the basic premise of the American dream that prosperity and ""progress"" will better the human condition. Anchored in history, rich in anecdote, and supported by state-of-the-art data, The Virtue of Prosperity is a tough-minded critique of our high-tech culture, with a surprising prescription for doing well and doing good. "

Customer Reviews:

Pre-9-11 & Enron; Falls Short. But Still Worth a Read.......2006-04-12

Bear in mind that Mr. D'Souza's book was written a year or so before the double horrors of 9-11 and Enron. Ever since then, the market has largely stagnated although it is gradually making a rebound after a three-year hiatus. D'Souza's exhaustive survey and analysis of the American economic landscape is commendable. He bases his resulting ideas on a thoughtful synthesis of the clash of economic cultures in America today. However, his work stills fall short. It has not taken into account the factors of greed in our country, and reactionary forces outside of our society. So even as he has put together a broad, all-encompassing view of the effects of prosperity here in this country, he has failed to put in perspective what happens when the effects of that prosperity creep outside and into our volatile world today.

First, with regards to Enron - and recall, they were only one of several large corporations to be involved in such a scandal - people, including the intelligentsia (on both sides) did not anticipate that even one CEO or group of businessmen would go so far as to enriching themselves, at the expense of consumers, investors, and employees. It is here that D'Souza and other conservatives miss the point: It is not so much that the "have-nots" want an equal share of the pie, or even an equal opportunity to be able to achieve what executives have; it is merely protection against the injustices that may happen. Inequality is a given, of course; but what happens when one person screws up the fragile order of things? The rich may suffer only a sting; the middle class may lose a little, but it's the working class and below that have the most to lose. Who speaks for them? Not businesses, unfortunately - if we are to trust what he has said, that in a meritocracy, businesses have no further obligation to the people it purportedly serves. It is left to the government to watch out for the lesser of our brethren. However, D'Souza does make a good point in saying that the "technorati" would do wise NOT to forget the wisdom of the past, and although I think he could have made a better argument here, it seems sufficient that he has mentioned it at all. It could be that a reader may get lost in all the talk about the virtues of technology, that the talk of "intangibles" gets lost in the shuffle. D'Souza tries hard to balance those two sides fairly, to a good degree.

The 9-11 schpiel is an unforeseen consequence of the drive to achieve prosperity. Because what America is, essentially, is a collective representation of its people's drive to excel and achieve a better life, to expand its borders. But what happens when we find ourselves treading on strange ground? Foreigners have a word for this: Imperialism. Surprisingly, D'Souza failed to take into account the extent that militant Islamic forces would go, to try to thwart our progress. Of course, they are not justified, nor do they represent the majority of their people's voices. However, they are there, and one way or another, as we would like to expand our borders in prosperity, we must also realize that as we are encroaching, the reactions from even just a few elements may be more violent (and larger in scale) than before (in electricity, this is known as "resistance"). 9-11 notwithstanding, this pursuit of prosperity seems to be present in all countries now, which should be a good sign.

Another omission and failure is D'Souza's silence on how the rich and the influential have been instrumental in changing the laws of this country, over the course of several hundred years. As a former policy advisor, he is very well aware of this. Regardless of administration, it has been tacitly implied that "those who have the gold make the rules." If the author is to indeed talk about the virtue of affluence and talk about the moral responsibility of the rich, and if he has rightly mentioned that the rich have more control over people than even the government does... then they have a moral as well as a practical obligation to push for laws and an environment where the general public - consumers, investors and employees - will be in an environment where everyone wins ("win-win"). Or at the very least, are protected - from adverse factors such as uncertainty from unemployment, as well as from stagnating in a dead-end job. At worst, it would be a form of feudalism; however, in this case, more enlightened.

Perhaps the most telling inadequacy that D'Souza fails to anticipate or discuss, however, is how the "end" of war (Afghanistan and Iraq, notwithstanding) has not only led to peace, prosperity, and more practical pursuits but also another looming headache: The Malthusian scenario of increasing population as resources dwindle. In America, the current sexual lifestyle among people is such that there has been less of a population growth as expected, which means that compared to most, it has not been such a problem here. What about the countries outside America? If their supplies run out, it would neither be appropriate nor sufficient to conclude that we can continue the economic progress in our country unimpeded. Indeed, our success has been contingent to that of other countries. And now that America is increasingly turning into a service-oriented economy, that dependence increases. Do we redistribute our resources for fear of a grand renormalization scheme? Or do we, by principle, sit tight and hope that the problems outside America can work themselves out? Not an easy question, and not one that can be addressed by any one book or philosopher. But as we continually get crowded in this world, and it gets smaller by the minute, it is a problem we must face. The sooner, the better.

Oh, and those hokey "Party of Yeah" and "Party of Nah" monikers are quite annoying. It may be to simplify the argument, but WHY is it that conservative writers have to resort to polar arguments (either/or), or lumping people into certain groups? Most people will probably be somewhere in between, falling in "Party of Either/Or" or "Party of Maybe/But Maybe Not." This sort of stupefies the argument, and assigns the weight of responsibility for ideas to other parties' and not his own. For goodness sake, if you are going to toss ideas around, have the chutzpah to adopt some of them as your own. Or at least, come up with better, more intelligent terms than "Party of Yeah"/"Party of Nah"! Geez!

In concluding, anything about the virtues of capitalism I think is worth a read, whether you are a liberal or conservative. D'Souza's work raises more than a few points and arguments, on both sides of the affluence fence. He shows us an organized, concise illustration on the evolution of America's economy, from the point of view of its citizens, not just the businessmen and the politicians. As a consequence, he also shows us, in passing, the virtues that are needed, for people who are striving to reach that part of their lives. I, too, like most Americans, want to have a share of the economic pie, and am willing to put in more than my share of hard work into it. At the same time, D'Souza's thoughtful insights about what could be the moral responsibilities of the rich, should be considered, on that road to prosperity. That goes for BOTH the ones who are working to achieve it AND those who have it. For anyone on either side of that fence, his ideas should be seen as a talking point for both where, hopefully, consensus could be achieved without conflict. Although there are some points (or omissions thereof) that I disagree with, I would definitely recommend reading this book for a history or economics class.

Reporting from the bubble - but still has much to offer.......2004-08-03

I like Dinesh D'Souza. If you don't you probably won't like this book because he writes from himself with passion for his topic and point of view. While I don't agree with every point he makes, I find him worth reading and enjoyable to read.

This book had the misfortune to come out just after the Internet Bubble burst. He had to go around trying to sell the idea that it didn't matter and that his views would come about anyway. At the time, no one wanted to listen because they were too worried about their 401ks evaporating.

Do his points make much sense in 2004? I would say that they do in many ways. However, it is clear from the writing that the author was firmly in the grip of the New Economy hoopla. So, if you can filter out some of the excesses, there is still quite a bit here worth considering.

A Great Read.......2003-10-07

Dinesh did it again with this piece of literary genius! Well maybe it isn't genius, but it is informative and entertaining.

In "The Virture of Prosperity" D'Souza makes an argument for capitalism based around the compassion that affluence had brought to this country. This book should counter every anti-globalization textbook in the classroom in order to provide a fair and balanced view of our supper-affluent society.

Relatively short, easy to read, and full of stats and figures to amaze your friends with, this book would make a great paper-back to pick up asap!

The only shortcoming would be that it was written before 9/11 so some of the flowery imagery of our future seem a tad bittersweet.

Capitalism Vindicated.......2003-05-02

Business people rank among the biggest victims of unfair criticism. Blamed for greed, exploitation and selfishness, business people generally fail to defend themselves or assert their positive status. Instead, they continue holding the country together through productive activity that generates tax revenues and high standards of living.

Thanks to a book by Dinesh D'Souza, they have a well-articulated defense of their status that extends beyond moneymaking. As D'Souza points out in The Virtue of Prosperity-Finding Values in an Age of Techno-Affluence (The Free Press, 2000, $26), business is about more than earning dollars. It is about realizing dreams through sacrifice, work, vision and an ability to satisfy society's needs. The pursuit of business not only is an economic endeavor but a noble endeavor, D'Souza believes.

An enthusiastic free market advocate who immigrated from India and was graduated from Dartmouth College, D'Souza focuses his attention on the boom of the high tech industry, which turned many ordinary people into millionaires almost overnight. The growth of capitalism, he notes, has led to unprecedented general prosperity.

An annual survey of freshmen conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA and reported by Alex P. Kellogg in the Jan. 26 Chronicle of Higher Education reveals that nearly three quarters of first-year college students say they want to be very well off. Only 28.1 percent report an interest in keeping current with political affairs.

D'Souza acknowledges that capitalism unleashes vast social and economic changes that alienate people and create an intensive need for spiritual fulfillment. He realizes that for many people, capitalism will not solve a search for meaning.

Also, social hierarchies are an inevitable outcome of the scramble for success in capitalist societies. However, these inequalities are not arbitrary accidents of birth. "The rich are today the hardest working people in society, and they refuse to...work less or stop working, even if they can easily afford to."

The ability to turn an area of enthusiastic interest and energetic resolve into prosperity for oneself and others drives the successful business person and also explains the hostility to the capitalist by those who look behind a haze of envy for not receiving the same rewards.

Despite economic gaps between rich and poor, one does not find instability or conflict as in other cultures because "technological capitalism is a powerful catalyst of enduring equality among citizens," he says. Indeed, higher standards of living make life better for all, with those at the bottom in America society considered privileged by the poverty-stricken in non-capitalist Third World countries. This result, D'Souza believes, elevates capitalism to a moral good so long as it retains the goal not of "I win, you lose," but "I win and therefore you win, too."

Simply incredible.......2002-09-16

I am absolutely amazed at the breadth of D'Souza's knowledge. This is my first Dinesh book and it certainly won't be the last.

After reading that he was a policy analyst for Ronald Reagan and was a member of both the American Enterprise Institute and the Hoover Institution, I expected the book to make a much firmer stance on the issues. I am pleasantly surprised at the respect that D'Souza gives to all arguments. He really considers every viewpoint before moving on.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Policy Review, published by Hoover Institution Press on December 1, 2000. The length of the article is 3634 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Anxiety of Prosperity.(Review) (book review)
Author: Elizabeth Arens
Publication: Policy Review (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2000
Publisher: Hoover Institution Press
Page: 75

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

An organization is more than the sum of its parts, and the individual components that function as a complex social system can be understood only by analyzing their collective behavior. This book shows how state-of-the-art simulation methods, including genetic algorithms, neural networks, and cellular automata, can be brought to bear on central problems of organizational theory related to the emergence, permanence, and dissolution of hierarchical macrostructures. The emphasis is on the application of a new generation of equation- and agent-based computational models that can help students of organizations to reformulate their basic research questions starting from assumptions about how to link--rather than separate--different levels of organizational analysis.

Customer Reviews:

An exciting future for organizational analysis!.......2001-11-29

Lomi and Larsen recruited an outstanding set of authors to explain and apply a new generation of agent-based computational models to the problem of organizational change. Using state-of-the-art simulation methods, with clear explanations and superior examples, the various chapters show how principles from genetic algorithms, neural networks, and cellular automata can be applied to the emergence, persistence, and disbanding of organizations (and other hierarchical macrostructures). I particularly liked their well-considered decision to emphasize multiple levels of analysis within the same models. This is a sourcebook that advanced students of organization studies should have on their shelf.

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Forage and turf are the backbone of sustainable agriculture and contribute extensively to the world economy. The fast-paced advancement of cellular and molecular biology provides novel methods to accelerate or complement conventional breeding efforts. This book contains the most comprehensive reviews on the latest development in applications of molecular techniques for the improvement of forage grasses, forage legumes and turf grasses. Detailed accounts and future opportunities in molecular breeding of forage and turf, from gene discovery to development of improved cultivars, are described in the book. Almost all relevant areas are explored in detail, including tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses; flowering control; plant-symbiont relations; breeding for animal, human and environmental welfare; molecular markers; transgenics; bioinformatics; population genetics; genomics of the model legume M. truncatula; field testing and risk assessment as well as intellectual property rights. This book will be of interest to researchers in both academia and industry who are involved in forage and turf improvement. It will be especially important to breeders, molecular biologists, geneticists, physiologists and agronomists.

Turfgrass Biology, Genetics, and Breeding

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Turfgrass Biology, Genetics, and Breeding

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The cultivation of various turfgrasses has evolved into a dynamic, multi-billion dollar industry. Yet, there is still a real lack of information available for those seeking to understand the complex science behind its growth. This book, edited by two knowledgeable and highly respected experts, presents for the first time a comprehensive study of the various types of turfgrasses, their genetic and biological makeup, and the specifics of when, how, where and why each species was adapted for use. The only book that deals specifically with the science behind the major types of turfgrasses, Turfgrass Biology will prove to be an invaluable, time-saving reference and research tool for professionals interested or engaged in the genesis of turfgrasses.

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The Book That Gives Hope

NOT WORTH IT!!!! GET CLIFFS

This book isn't going to help you at all! Spend your money on something better!

Great Book!

The Perfect Review Book

Cracking the AP Biology Exam, 2006-2007 Edition (College Test Prep)
Princeton Review
Manufacturer: Princeton Review
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Binding: Paperback

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Scoring high on the AP Biology Exam is very different from earning straight A's in school. We don't try to teach you everything there is to know about biology--only the strategies and information you'll need to get your highest score. In Cracking the AP Biology Exam, we'll teach you how to

·Use our preparation strategies and test-taking techniques to raise your score
·Focus only on the biology topics that are likely to be covered on the test
·Memorize complicated biology concepts using simple techniques
·Test your knowledge with review questions for each topic covered

This book includes 2 full-length practice AP Biology tests. All of our practice questions are just like those you'll see on the actual exam, and we explain how to answer every question.

Customer Reviews:

The Book That Gives Hope.......2007-09-16

First let me start off with a background. I was a junior when I bought this book and I was barely pulling C to C+ in my AP Biology Class. The Class seemed standard and the teacher was great. My problem was that, as interesting as biology was, I found it hard just to memorize so many things in such a short period of time ( The textbook was 2000+ pages!)

The time to take the AP test came and I needed to review. I was starting to look for more of a 3-4 then the 5 i wanted. I bought this book in hopes of just passing the test. Well this book did that and much more. What this book has to offer is tremendously useful. After taking the test, I saw that this book went over just the things that were the MOST important topics of the exam ( about 60% of the AP biology topics take up 80-90% of the exam).

This book goes into detail on the important topics which is split up into chapters. After each chapter is a chapter review test which helped you remember each topic in a very strategic way. It sound pretty typical but they way the book is constructed helps you remember TREMENDOUS amounts of information in its relatively short review section ( roughly 3/4 of the book the last 1/4 is a Practice Test)

I was pulling a C in the class but I managed to get a 5 on the AP Biology test. Just think about what wonders it can do for you. I bought the other CliffsAP review book and that one turned out to be pretty much useless to me. I highly recomend this book if it is the only book you can afford to buy for this Class.

NOT WORTH IT!!!! GET CLIFFS .......2007-06-15

Princeton Review claims to be the mecca of test prep! Well I WOULD CERTAINLY DISAGREE WITH THAT CLAIM BASED ON THIS BOOK! It over summarizes everything + while the pictures and diagrams look nice and all they aren't gonna get you that 3, 4, or 5!!! I mean sure the overall summary of the concepts is correct but the AP exam is really tough.... i know because i just took it!.... and they will expect you to know everything in a great level of detail!!! Especially with the labs.... This book summarizes each lab in 1 paragraph... ha!!! Cliffs does pgs. for each one + tells you exactly what ETS wants! Also the test questions and practice look nothing like the AP

IF YOU WANT TO DO WELL STOP + GO TO WHERE YOU CAN BUY CLIFFS!!!

This book isn't going to help you at all! Spend your money on something better!.......2007-06-12

I agree with everyone who says this review book is TRASH. Honestly, it has so little necessary information for the exam, that you could've just taken the exam without ever studying. I just thank God that I used a Barron's in conjunction with this book. The Barron's makes complicated concepts so easy that a caveman could understand them. Not only that, but it goes into detail and highlights key concepts that you'll need to know for the exam, unlike the Princeton Review. This book does have practice tests, which are always good to do, but that's about it. If I recall correctly, the book has about a page on the Immune system. A PAGE!!! Barron's on the other hand had around 10. Seriously, this book does close to nothing in giving information essential to doing well on the exam.

So, to summarize everything I just said, Princeton Review is horrible and I'll never use another review book by them again, AND go with either a Barron's or Cliff's because they actually know what they're talking about and will prepare you for the exam.

Great Book!.......2007-06-03

To do well on the AP test, you can't depend completely on this book. you should also take a comprehensive AP Bio course during high school. It is best to use this book through out the school year along with your Bio class materials. If you know everything on this book, you will definitely do well on the multiply choice portion of the test. However, if you did not use another AP Bio textbook and depended completely on this book, you might not do as well on the essay portion. For example, this book does not cover the different kinds of biotechnologies really in detail. But on the 2000(I don't remember the year exactly) AP Bio test, one of the essay questions asked you to talk about several biotechnology tecniques (such as PCR, southern blotting etc.). Overall, this is very good book. The wording is very easy to understand and straightforward. It is not boring to read this book (unlike some of the other ap bio prep book, such as barron's) and the book tells you everthing you need to know (for multiple choice portion). Another thing I strongly recommend for studying ap bio test is McGraw-Hill's Biology Essential Study Partner. I think this program can be found online (like in google). This program accompany the biology textbook by Raven (but you don't need to read the textbook to use this program). I am pretty sure you will get a 5 on the ap bio test if you studied everything on Essential Study Partner and Princeton Review's Ap Biology.

The Perfect Review Book.......2007-05-16

This book drew the line at what I actually needed to know and what was unimportant for the AP Test. I feel that it helped me review all the major points and really contributed to my performance on the exam.

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