Meet Julian West, who falls asleep in Boston for over a hundred
years... then wakes to find himself in a futuristic socialist
utopia, where people retire at 45 to live out the rest of their
lives in leisure. His guide in this brave new America is Doctor
Leete, with whom he discusses the wonders he encounters and the
perils he envisions. These social-minded dialogues range from
discussing religion, an improved legal system and class equality,
to the use of credit cards, overnight deliveries, and the dangers
of the stock market. Edward Bellamy wrote "Looking Backward" in
1887, and the descriptions of his futuristic socialist utopia
quickly ignited spirited debate, and led to a political movement
which came to be known as Nationalism. The book also inspired the
creation of new utopian communities, as well as influencing over a
century of urban planning, including the Garden city movement in
England. This full size collectible edition has been designed for
students and scholars, and features a new introduction, as well as
a contemporary look at the life and influence of Edward Bellamy. It
has been updated, indexed and completely restored for a modern
audience. Excerpt from "Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy - A
Utopian Novel" (Chapter 26) Reprinted by permission. All rights
reserved. "It was the sincere belief of even the best of men at
that epoch that the only stable elements in human nature, on which
a social system could be safely founded, were its worst
propensities. They had been taught and believed that greed and
self-seeking were all that held mankind together, and that all
human associations would fall to pieces if anything were done to
blunt the edge of these motives or curb their operation. In a word,
they believed - even those who longed to believe otherwise - the
exact reverse of what to us seems self-evident; they believed, that
is, that the antisocial qualities of men, and not their social
qualities, were what furnished the cohesive force of society.... It
seems absurd to expect anyone to believe that convictions like
these were ever seriously entertained by men...." "With a tear for
the dark past, turn we then to the dazzling future, and, veiling
our eyes, press forward. The long and weary winter of the race is
ended. Its summer has begun. Humanity has burst the chrysalis. The
heavens are before it." Critical reviews for Looking Backward ""One
of the most remarkable books ever published in America... it is one
of the few books ever published that created almost immediately on
its appearance a political mass movement."" --Erich Fromm ""While
almost prophetic in its 19th century predictions of many modern
contrivances, socially, 'Looking Backward' stands in stark contrast
to America as it exists in the grip of the early 21st century world
economic recession. Yet even more than a century after it was
written, Bellamy's masterpiece now burns even brighter as a beacon
of hope for class equality and the ideas associated with Christian
socialism."" --Shawn Conners, editor of "Men & Women by Robert
Browning - Transcendentalism: A Poem in Twelve Books"
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