Book Reviews -- the Power of Culture: Critical Essays in American History Edited by Richard Wightman Fox and T. J. Jackson Lears

Browne, Ray B., Journal of American Culture (Malden, MA)

The Power of Culture: Critical Essays in American History. Richard Wightman Fox and T.J. Jackson Lears, editors. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1993.

This book is energized by a commendable goal: to understand the degree to which the power of culture drives society. In some ways the answer seems obvious, but since culture and society are not quite the same thing, the subject is valuable.

There are nine essays in the volume, most of them insightful and useful. One of the most useful because it deals with a fundamental of humanity is "The Early American Murder Narratives: The Birth of Horror" by Karen Halttunen. She examines the changing use Americans--and people worldwide--have …

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Publication information: Article title: Book Reviews -- the Power of Culture: Critical Essays in American History Edited by Richard Wightman Fox and T. J. Jackson Lears. Contributors: Browne, Ray B. - Author. Journal title: Journal of American Culture (Malden, MA). Volume: 17. Issue: 3 Publication date: Fall 1994. Page number: 90. © 2004 Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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