{"product_id":"public-intellectuals-richard-a-posner-9780674012462","title":"Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline, with a New Preface and Epilogue","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this timely book, the first comprehensive study of the modern American public intellectual--that individual who speaks to the public on issues of political or ideological moment--Richard Posner charts the decline of a venerable institution that included worthies from Socrates to John Dewey. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith the rapid growth of the media in recent years, highly visible forums for discussion have multiplied, while greater academic specialization has yielded a growing number of narrowly trained scholars. Posner tracks these two trends to their inevitable intersection: a proliferation of modern academics commenting on topics outside their ken. The resulting scene--one of off-the-cuff pronouncements, erroneous predictions, and ignorant policy proposals--compares poorly with the performance of earlier public intellectuals, largely nonacademics whose erudition and breadth of knowledge were well suited to public discourse. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLeveling a balanced attack on liberal and conservative pundits alike, Posner describes the styles and genres, constraints and incentives, of the activity of public intellectuals. He identifies a market for this activity--one with recognizable patterns and conventions but an absence of quality controls. And he offers modest proposals for improving the performance of this market--and the quality of public discussion in America today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis paperback edition contains a new preface and and a new epilogue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Richard A. Posner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0674012461\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780674012462\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harvard University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/30\/2003\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 464\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.20h x 6.10w x 1.20d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/30\/2003 pg. 28","brand":"Richard A. Posner","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43992266309887,"sku":"9780674012462","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_bbb847e6-be80-4f7c-a18c-751e4cde4d23.jpg?v=1683315061","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/public-intellectuals-richard-a-posner-9780674012462","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}