There are three basic themes in Ralph Borsodi's This Ugly Civilization a critique of modern industrial civilization, achieving personal economic independence, and maximizing individual potential. Borsodi advocates a lifestyle of self-reliance and decentralized power, and outlines how it can be realized either by one man or by all. The logical steps are given for moving beyond a "victory garden" so that each of us may cultivate a human-scale existence compatible with nature and the pursuit of the good life.Received with ...
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There are three basic themes in Ralph Borsodi's This Ugly Civilization a critique of modern industrial civilization, achieving personal economic independence, and maximizing individual potential. Borsodi advocates a lifestyle of self-reliance and decentralized power, and outlines how it can be realized either by one man or by all. The logical steps are given for moving beyond a "victory garden" so that each of us may cultivate a human-scale existence compatible with nature and the pursuit of the good life.Received with great interest upon release in 1929, This Ugly Civilization offered a course of action for those who were soon facing the Great Depression. The book again found an audience during the rationing and instability of World War II. This Ugly Civilization and Borsodi's subsequent Flight from the City (1933) became "bibles" to many in the successive "back-to-the-land" movements that occur every generation. His ideas gained further momentum among young people looking for answers in the 1960s and 70s. The indefatigable Mildred Loomis, the greatest advocate of Borsodi's work, even garnered the nickname "grandmother of the counterculture." Within another decade, the punk-inspired DIY movement would rail against centralizing authority and encourage the creation of a new culture of self-determination-although such radical ideas were hardly new, as Borsodi's book shows. This Ugly Civilization rejects the reign of quantity over quality in both man and machine, along with the concomitant rise of consumerism and groupthink. Above and beyond mere self-sufficiency, Barsodi champions an appreciation of beauty, uniqueness and craftsmanship over the factory conformity being imposed in every sector of life. He has written a pragmatic, poetic and philosophical work that will speak to every thoughtful nonconformist. It represents an early seed of the Green Revolution that continues to promote health, comfort and independence. It is about living a whole, organic life and developing the potential of the individual, the family and the surrounding community.
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Add this copy of This Ugly Civilization to cart. $41.08, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Underworld Amusements.
Add this copy of This Ugly Civilization to cart. $70.14, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Underworld Amusements.
Add this copy of This Ugly Civilization to cart. $72.16, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Underworld Amusements.
This book presents a critique of modern economism, and particularly industrial capitalism at the turn of the century. It does not present socialism as an alternative, but instead proposes independence and self-sufficiency. Part homesteading manual and part Nietzschean hymn to the 1 in a thousand "quality-minded man", against the "herd minded" mass and the "quantity minded" exploiter, it's an engaging read and a lost gem.
This is an entertaining and thought-provoking book! One of those books where I have my phone in my hand while I read it so that I can take pictures of great little passages and quotable bits.
It's hard to pick my favorite part, but I really enjoyed the short passage about a fictional 6-day vacation at an eating resort. It was written like a 19th-century progressive advertisement for the wonderful world of tomorrow, but the author was clearly revolted. I loved the phrase "the most delicate and pleasing modernizations of the old Roman vomitoriums", and it's awesome that the word "vomitoriums" is in the index.
What a treat! The third, practical section of the book can get a little dry in places - there is a list of electrical appliances on a farm, following a table of kilowatt-hours/month/family of typical electrical devices in the 1920s, but that kind very pragmatic approach distinguishes this book from a generic "modernity.. Ewww!" book. The author clearly had an alternative in mind and he's clearly done his homework!
Thanks to Underworld Amusements for giving this neglected gem a new audience!
