The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture

Written by Wendell Berry

Narrated by Nick Offerman

Since its publication in 1977, The Unsettling of America has been recognized as a classic of American letters. In
it, Wendell Berry argues that good farming is a cultural and spiritual discipline. Today’s agribusiness, however, takes
farming out of its cultural context and away from families. As a result, we as a nation are more estranged from the
land—from the intimate knowledge, love, and care of it.

Sadly, his arguments and observations are more relevant than ever. Although “this book has not had the happy
fate of being proved wrong,” Berry writes, there are people working “to make something comely and enduring of
our life on this earth.” Wendell Berry is one of those people, writing and working, as ever, with passion, eloquence,
and conviction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980080398

Reviews for The Unsettling of America

[et.carole · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Berry's characteristically clear and opinionated style can be seen coming into its own here. Not my favorite, but I can understand why this was his breakthrough piece.

[blake.rosser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great, although uneven, criticism of the reigning agricultural and cultural mentality in the U.S. It's impressive that Berry wrote this more than 30 years ago since the argument seems just as timely today. The first two and last two chapters were the strongest. In between, he gets into an abstract discussion on the relationship between our connection to the land, ourselves, and other human beings. The vagueness of some of his terminology and expressions in these chapters resulted in my losing interest. The argument itself was subtle, but it wasn't as well elucidated as I would have liked. It seems that Berry was relying on his readers to have a poetic sensibility that I myself lack. I fully admire the lyricism of his writing in these chapters; it just didn't quite scratch my particular itch this time around. Some day I'll come back to this when I'm older and wiser and give it the five stars it probably deserves. Either that, or I'll feel the same way I do now and move it down to three.

[mldg_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If I had to name just one book (other than the Bible) that had the most impact on my life , this would be it. With eloquence and clarity, Wendell Berry, expressed the ideas in my head decades before I ever thought them.

[arctic1stranger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wendell Berry just makes more sense than most other people. I dont always agree with his opinions, but I cannot just write them off, and I am always the better for arguing with him. This particular book is about agriculture, but you could substitute the word "church," or "family" or "school" or "workplace" for the word agriculture and you would learn about how you think about those areas as well.