This Noble Land

Book Review
By Darold H. Morgan
[Dr. Darold Morgan is the immediate past President of the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a World Class Scrabble Player.]

This Noble Land
by James Michener

This is a "must-read" book! Written by James Michener, one of America`s most popular and prolific authors, it addresses his "Vision for America." One may be initially aware that Michener is now in his nineties, but this remarkable fact quickly falls by the wayside in the reading of this upbeat, beautifully written, intensely prophetic, wisely predictive volume.

Drawn from his dramatically stated appreciation for the United States of America, the author realistically speaks to some of the major ethical and cultural challenges the nation currently faces. These concerns are presented calmly and factually with an honest realism all too seldom seen in print. His style, well-known to five decades of readers, is as penchant, direct, and persuasive as ever.

The autobiographical vignettes, the timely quotations from many sources, and the basic optimism he exudes all combine admirably to make this book deserving of wide circulation. These are not the fulminations of an elderly and waning mind. Rather it is a beautiful confirmation of why wise people through the years have respected their elders. This elder statesman is truly worthy of respect.

Michener deals forthrightly with nine of the major ethical and social issues needing urgent attention in the USA today. These are:

1. The growing concentration of wealth in the hands of a very few;
2. the unresolved racial unrest in our nation;
3. the imbalance between producers and consumers;
4. the on-going educational crises;
5. the weakening of the American family;
6. the health care crisis;
7. the violence permeating our society;
8. the cultural dilemma in current American artforms;
9. the resurgence of the Republican Party as expressed in its Religious Right Contract with America.

A weakness of the book is that it attempts to cover too much territory This leads to some simplistic suggestions regarding very complex, deep-seated issues. But Michener believes in the resiliency of American democracy. He believes in the foundational strengths of the great documents of the American experiment. He believes in the core values of religion and religious freedom.

A basic strength of the book centers in his recommendations at the end of each chapter dealing with these pressing issues. They merit serious reflection and discussion. They are designed to be springboards of exchange and dialogue. And in the land today such thoughtful encounters are desperately needed between all segments of the population. That there is a sad abundance of antagonisms between practically every group in the land is beyond debate.

This is a rare "feel-good" book from one of our nation`s most remarkable literary minds. Read it and you will come away genuinely encouraged about "This Noble Land."

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