45 review for The State of the Union: Essays in Social Criticism

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   4 out of 5

   Keturah Lamb – Oct 14, 2019

   I'm quite happy to report it took me only a month to read tbis book! I heard Nock is considered one of the fathers of Libertarianism, so it's only good I read this book as that's a growing political movement. This book was a collection of some of his best essays. I found many of the essays dull, and maybe even out of place in our current day affairs, but I really enjoyed many of the center essays, and the last few as well. So definitely a book with some gems scattered about. Also, some quote wort I'm quite happy to report it took me only a month to read tbis book! I heard Nock is considered one of the fathers of Libertarianism, so it's only good I read this book as that's a growing political movement. This book was a collection of some of his best essays. I found many of the essays dull, and maybe even out of place in our current day affairs, but I really enjoyed many of the center essays, and the last few as well. So definitely a book with some gems scattered about. Also, some quote worthy words. I'll be doing an in depth review over at: thegirlwhodoesntexist.com

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Rob – Aug 05, 2018

   Uneven collection of essays - there are some real jewels in here, although there are also a couple essays that have limited relevance outside of the time period in which they were written (having to do with people that no longer have notoriety) and some stuff from early in Nock's career where his cultural criticism bordered on smug elitism. The best essays in the collection are, in my opinion: 1) Peace the Aristocrat 2) Isaiah's Job (REALLY good) 3) A little Conserva-tive 4) The Criminality of the Uneven collection of essays - there are some real jewels in here, although there are also a couple essays that have limited relevance outside of the time period in which they were written (having to do with people that no longer have notoriety) and some stuff from early in Nock's career where his cultural criticism bordered on smug elitism. The best essays in the collection are, in my opinion: 1) Peace the Aristocrat 2) Isaiah's Job (REALLY good) 3) A little Conserva-tive 4) The Criminality of the State 5) Liberalism, Properly So Called For the five above, it's worth keeping the collection on hand in your library. I think "Liberalism, Properly So Called" is otherwise unpublished, and the other four are in various of Nock's own collections that are pretty hard to track down.

3. 

   4 out of 5

   Ronald – Jul 26, 2011

   Superb. Fantastic. Nock's essays are just what a hungry and open mind needs. He is an American classic. The literary quality of his social criticism is so good it makes it positively painful to read the op-eds in today's newspapers and magazines. In his essay "On Doing the Right Thing," Nock says "... of all men I ever knew, the Liberals of my acquaintance have the greatest nervous horror of freedom, the most inveterate and pusillanimous dread of contemplating the ideal picture of mankind existi Superb. Fantastic. Nock's essays are just what a hungry and open mind needs. He is an American classic. The literary quality of his social criticism is so good it makes it positively painful to read the op-eds in today's newspapers and magazines. In his essay "On Doing the Right Thing," Nock says "... of all men I ever knew, the Liberals of my acquaintance have the greatest nervous horror of freedom, the most inveterate and pusillanimous dread of contemplating the ideal picture of mankind existing in free and voluntary association." Indeed, nothing has changed in the more than 50 years since his death.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Craig Bolton – Sep 23, 2010

   The State of the Union: Essays in Social Criticism by Albert Jay Nock (1991)

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   5 out of 5

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    4 out of 5

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    4 out of 5

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