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The Great Divide

Why Liberals and Conservatives Will Never, Ever Agree
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( 40 ratings, 2 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Great Divide by William D. Gairdner examines the deep-seated divisions within Western societies, focusing on the ideological conflicts between progressive and conservative viewpoints. The book delves into how these ideological rifts influence politics, culture, and public life, offering insights into the ramifications of such divisions on modern governance and social stability.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are interested in exploring the ideological clashes and cultural conflicts shaping the modern world. It delves into the deep divisions in politics and society, offering insightful analyses and perspectives that challenge conventional thinking. This book may appeal to you if you're keen on examining the philosophical underpinnings behind political trends and current affairs.

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The theme of The Great Divide

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The theme of The Great Divide is that the populations of the democratic world, from Boston to Berlin, Vancouver to Venice, are becoming increasingly divided from within, due to a growing ideological incompatibility between modern liberalism and conservatism. This is partly due to a complex mutation in the concept of liberal democracy itself, and the resulting divide is now so wide that those holding to either philosophy on a whole range of topicsβ€”on democracy, on reason, on abortion, on human nature, on homosexuality and gay marriage, on freedom, on the role of courts, and much moreβ€”can barely speak with each other without outrage, the favourite emotional response from all sides. Clearly, civil conversation at the surface has been failing, and that could mean democracy is failing.

This book is an effort to deepen the conversation. It is written for the non-specialist and aims to reveal the less obvious underlying ideological forces and misconceptions that cause the conflict and outrage at the surfaceβ€”not with any expectation that the clash of values will evaporate, but rather that a deeper understanding will generate a more intelligent and civil conversation.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Great Divide by William D. Gairdner explores the growing chasm in political ideologies, focusing on the tension between social collectivism and individualism. Reviews often highlight its in-depth analysis and the compelling illustration of cultural and political conflicts. Some readers appreciate Gairdner's thorough research and clear writing, while others find his perspective to be heavily biased, provoking a thought-provoking yet polarising reaction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781594037641

Publisher: Encounter Books,USA

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 April 2015

Country: United States

Imprint: Encounter Books,USA

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 552g

Pages: 280

About the Author

William D. Gairdner, PhD, has had a busy life as an athlete, an academic, a businessman, and latterly, as a successful author. He is presently retired and lives near Toronto, Canada.

As a young athlete, Bill competed in the decathlon at the 1963 Pan-Am Games in Brazil (silver medal), and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 (11th place), and then in two Commonwealth Games in the 400 metre hurdles event (6th place both times)

After earning a number of higher degrees, including a Doctorate in Literature and Philosophy from Stanford University (1970), he taught at York University in Toronto for several years, and then decided to pursue a career in business, from which he retired in 1988 to devote his time to writing.

Beginning in 1990, he produced a string of bestselling books in quick succession, including The Trouble with Canada (# 1 in Canada in 1990), and The War Against The Family. He was then the managing editor of Canada's Founding Debates - now an historical landmark. On the heels of that he published The Trouble with Democracy, and also The Book of Absolutes. His last book was The Trouble with Canada ... Still! an overview of the regime-change in Canada over the past twenty years that was released in 2010 and sold out in three months.

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