John's Reviews > The Rediscovery of North America

An important book that remains timely. It strikes at an idea that sits at the heart of American society--the tendency to impose our "higher ideals" rather than to propose them to others. People continue to seek after power, and while American democracy involves more people than older monarchies in decision making, the impulse to exert our power over others rather than to live with them in community remains. Lopez extends this argument to include not just people, but all the world we inhabit. Every day people, corporations, and governments make decisions that impact not just other people but also the whole earth. Lopez' rooting of American abuse of the "other" in her history is a compelling point that points to how deeply rooted these kinds of abuses are culturally, and thereby hints at the depth of the work we need to do to change our course. Indeed, that Lopez doesn't just say 'stop,' but suggests a specific course change, is one of the strongest points of the book, for it provides a measure of hope to a rather dire situation.