. To be honest, I had a hard time with this book, since I read it right after a very engaging non-fiction story. It's not that it's well written, it's just that it requires a lot more thought.The main point of the book is that any civilization is only one generation away from being the best it can be, or from collapsing, and that the USA needs to return to values embodied by its founders - gratitude, personal responsibility, and sacrifice - to become stronger. In a lot of ways, this book was preaching to the choir - as a high school teacher, I already see a lot of students that lack these values. But I also see examples of students that are rising above their peers and inspiring not just other students, but also adults.
There are some thought-provoking ideas raised in the book, like the idea of national service. I'm familiar with this - I teach German and know a lot about German culture, and there they require national service, although it doesn't have to be military based. A friend of mine was basically an EMT, and it changed his career plan from something in radio to being a doctor. I'm not sure I agree with his plan 100%, but I do like the idea of all citizens being taught basic life-saving skills as part of this service year, and then providing some sort of service - military or non-military, by choice - to the country.
It's worth the read, if you're concerned with the way things are going and want to explore ideas for ways to help society improve, starting with our children.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book to facilitate this review.
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