Author Description

What does it mean to be an American, and what can America be today? Philosopher-journalist Lévy spent a year traveling in the footsteps of Alexis de Tocqueville. The result is a fresh look at a country we sometimes only think we know. From Rikers Island to Chicago mega-churches, from Muslim communities in Detroit to an Amish enclave in Iowa, Lévy investigates issues at the heart of our democracy: the nature of American patriotism, the coexistence of freedom and religion (including the religion of baseball), the prison system, the health of our political institutions, and much more. Both the grandeur and the hellish dimensions of American life are unflinchingly explored. At a time when Americans are anxious about how the world perceives them and, indeed, keen to make sense of themselves, a brilliant and sympathetic foreign observer has arrived to help us begin a new conversation about the meaning of America.--From publisher description.