Title: Read this book
Product review: I read this book several years ago, and it is what inspired me to study history in college. Menand uses biographies of Holmes, James, Peirce and Dewey to show how modern ideas like pragmatism emerged in American society, and it works beautifully.The prose may be dull at times (the reviewer who thought this did not deserve the Pulitzer probably took a few cat naps in between pages), but welcome to the world of influential scholarship! Menand is one of those rare writers who breaks new ground in subjects for which he was not even formally trained. From voting behavior to philosophy, and from literature to history, Menand has skillfully addressed dense and often difficult subjects not only in this book, but also in first-rate publications like The New Yorker.I look forward to another great book from Menand in the future.(By the way, I thought Menand's American Studies was simply what was left over after his research of The Metaphysical Club, so I would not recommend that one.)
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
