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Dark
Age Ahead, by Jane Jacobs.
In this book by the author of the
influential and now classic The Death and Life of Great
American Cities, Jacobs proposes that North American
culture is heading for a Dark Age, loosely defined as mass
amnesia where a culture and way of life is forgotten. Though
much broader in scope than Death and Life, many
similar ideas can be found here, particularly in relation
to communities, the automobile, and economics in relation
to the physical environment. Jacobs frames her argument
in five areas where the current trajectory points to a dismal
future: the car's destruction of community life, credentialing
vs. education, the abandonment of science, "dumbed-down
taxes", and the subversion of self-policing. While
not comprehensive, these chapters sufficiently explain her
argument, though the validity of that argument is questionable.
But that's not a problem, for enough good points are raised
that making people think and talk about our culture's future
is more important than her predictions coming true. If Death
and Life is any proof, Jacobs's ability to effect change
is a fact, though in this case the consequences won't be
immediate but will unfold over time.
. . or . . 
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