What's What in America by Eugene V. Brewster
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"What's What in America" by Eugene V. Brewster is a critical examination of societal trends and superstitions written in the early 20th century. The work discusses a variety of cultural phenomena viewed through Brewster's lens of skepticism, exploring the nature of credulity, self-deception, and the beliefs that take root in the American consciousness, including health fads and pseudosciences. At the start of the book, Brewster presents a preface outlining the complexities of
American identity, highlighting the paradox of being a diverse yet unified society. He posits that Americans are drawn to various unorganized 'isms', such as Christian Science and phrenology, suggesting these credulities are indicative of a deeper social disarray. He introduces the themes of the book, indicating a series of essays that will dissect these ideologies, addressing the interplay of superstition, belief in the supernatural, and the sometimes absurd popularity of certain fads in the quest for understanding and meaning within the rapidly changing landscape of American life at the time. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Brewster, Eugene V. (Eugene Valentine), 1869-1939 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 20001679 |
| Title | What's What in America |
| Contents | Credulity -- Christian Science -- Osteopathy -- Phrenology -- Physiognomy -- Dreams -- Superstitions -- Stage tricks and occultism -- Ghosts -- Strikes, profiteering and the high cost of living -- The public -- Popularity -- Greatness -- The martyrdom of genius -- Gentlemen, be seated -- Beards -- Gambling -- Wedding bells. |
| Credits |
Produced by Chris Curnow, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 64.6 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | BF: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Psychology, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis |
| LoC Class | E151: History: America: United States |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | United States -- Civilization |
| Subject | United States -- Social life and customs |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 54370 |
| Release Date | Mar 16, 2017 |
| Last Update | Oct 23, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 456 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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