Morris Berman

Morris Berman (born 1944 in Rochester, New York) is an American historian

Morris Berman
and social critic. He earned a BA in mathematics at Cornell University in 1966
Born August 3, 1944
and a PhD in the history of science at The Johns Hopkins University in 1971.[1]
Rochester, New York,
As an academic humanist cultural critic, Berman specializes in Western cultural
USA
and intellectual history.
Occupation Educator, scholar, writer
Language English, Spanish
Nationality United States
Contents Citizenship United States (born),
Mexico (currently lives)
Life and work
Alma mater Cornell University (BA,
Recognition
Mathematics, 1966)
Selected works
Johns Hopkins University
References (PhD, History of Science,
External links 1971)

Period 1972 – present

Notable The Reenchantment of
Life and work works the World, The Twilight of
American Culture
Berman has served on the faculties of a number of universities in the U.S.,
Notable Rollo May Center Grant
Canada, and Europe. Berman emigrated from the U.S. to Mexico in 2006, awards
where he was a visiting professor at the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico (1992)
City from 2008 to 2009. During this period he continued writing for various
Neil Postman Award
publications includingParteaguas, a quarterly magazine.[2]
(2013)
Although an academic, Berman has written several books for a general Website
audience.[3] They deal with the state of Western civilization and with an ethical, Dark Ages America
historically responsible, or enlightened approach to living within it. His work
emphasizes the legacies of theEuropean Enlightenmentand the historical place of present-day American culture.

As book reviewer George Scialabba points out, Berman's work is generally discussed in terms of the two trilogies he produced over a
thirty-year span (between 1981 and 2011):

"Most historians would be content to have written one deeply researched and interpretively wide-ranging trilogy on a
large and important subject. Berman has written two: one on alternative forms of consciousness and spirituality (The
Re-enchantment of the World, Coming to Our Senses, Wandering God) and one on the decline of American
civilization (The Twilight of American Culture, Dark Ages America, Why America Failed). The second trilogy, a
grimly fascinating inventory of the pathologies of contemporary America and an unsparing portrait of American
history and national character, is a masterpiece."[4]

Recognition
In 1990, Morris Berman received the Governor's Writers Award (Washington State) for his book Coming to Our Senses.[5] In 1992,
he was the recipient of the first annual Rollo May Center Grant for Humanistic Studies. In 2000, Berman's book The Twilight of
American Culture was named one of the ten most recommended books of the year by the Christian Science Monitor[6] and was
named a "Notable Book" by The New York Times Book Review.[7] In 2013 he received the "Neil Postman Award for Career
Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity" from the Media Ecology Association.[8] As of 2014 Berman continues to live in
Mexico.[9]

Selected works
Social Change & Scientific Organization: The Royal Institution 1799 – 1844 . 1978. – nonfiction
The Reenchantment of The World. 1981. – nonfiction
Coming to Our Senses: Body and Spirit in the Hidden History of the W est. 1989. – nonfiction
Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality. 2000. – nonfiction
The Twilight of American Culture. 2000. – nonfiction
Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire . 2006. – nonfiction
A Question of Values. 2010. – essay collection - nonfiction
Destiny. 2010. – fiction (a collection of three novellas)
Counting Blessings. 2011. – poetry
Why America Failed: The Roots of Imperial Decline . 2011. – nonfiction[10]
Spinning Straw Into Gold: Straight Talk for Troubled Times. 2013. – a philosophical memoir - nonfiction
Neurotic Beauty: An Outsider Looks At Japan. 2015. – nonfiction [4]
The Man Without Qualities. 2016. – fiction (a novel)[11]

References
1. Berman, Morris. "The Denial of Death" (https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=25497693&postID=709497761
1040635865). DARK AGES AMERICA. Retrieved 29 September 2017. "I was Ph.D. from Hopkins in 1971 as well.
All my bios, including Wikipedia, have it as 1972, but in fact it was 15 Feb 1971. Go figure.
"
2. "Blogger: User Profile: Morris Berman"(http://www.blogger.com/profile/01541460409142158946). blogger.com.
3. Prins, Nomi (2010-11-25)."America the Material" (http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/america_the_material_2
0101126). Truthdig. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
4. Scialabba, George (2015-10-27)."Fuse Book Review: 'Neurotic Beauty'—Japanese Therapeutics"(http://artsfuse.or
g/136125/fuse-book-review-neurotic-beauty-japanese-therapeutics/)
. The Arts Fuse. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
5. "Washington State Book Award Winners" (http://www.spl.org/audiences/adults/washington-state-book-awards/washi
ngton-state-book-award-winners). spl.org.
6. "Recommended Books"(http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/1116/p11s2.html). The Christian Science Monitor. 2000-11-
16. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
7. "Notable Books" (https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/03/books/notable-books.html) - New York Times December 3,
2000
8. "Past MEA Award Recipients" (http://www.media-ecology.org/awards/mea_recipients.html). Media Ecology
Association. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
9. Berman, Morris. "Love and Survival" (https://www.adbusters.org/article/love-and-survival/). Adbusters. Retrieved
22 July 2016.
10. http://muse.jhu.edu/article/504264
11. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-a-domino/a-nation-without-qualitie_b_9933308.html

External links
Berman's weblog
Berman's Curriculum Vitae (RTF)
Why America Failed interview on Media Matters with Bob McChesney (4 Dec 2011)
Dark Ages America interview on Media Matters with Bob McChesney (30 July 2006)
Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empireon C-SPAN Book TV (19 May 2006)
Two short videos of an interview with Morris Berman On the Decline of Empire: 'Why America Failed'
, on
Conversations with great minds
 Why The American Empire Was Destined To Collapse — Nomi Prins Interviews Morris Berman
Waiting for the barbarians– essay first published inThe Guardian, Friday 5 October 2001
Morris Berman at CounterPunch magazine — Links to six Berman essays published byCounterPunch: "From
Hustlers to Thugs," "The Moral Order,'" "A Show About Nothing," "Democracy in America, Revisited," "The Parable
of the Frogs," "The Hula Hoop Theory of History ."
Appearances on C-SPAN

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