Brave New World Revisited (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

Aldous Huxley is so smart and honest. Does not have an agenda except for the betterment of everyone. The first 1/3 of this book is great. The last 20% is worth the time where he gives his ideas on what it means and how to really be (and stay) a democracy. The middle is pretty much known by everyone these days and can be skipped imho. But it was ahead of its time. Even if you do skip the middle; the rest of the book is insightful and worth reading today. Not an easy read but it is clear and straightforward for anyone making the effort.

This is Huxley's appraisal of how things have gone 27 years after he wrote Brave New World. One of the big issues he discusses is overpopulation. The developed world is actually now seeing declining birth rates and some countries are seeing actual population declines. Much of the rest of the world is seeing slowing growth. So, at least one of his points is showing some improvement. However, another point is getting much worse - government and corporate propaganda. He never could have seen social media coming, but it has accelerated the ability to act not only as tightly controlled propaganda, but also as a soma to millions seeking diversion and validation. The book is a short read and not too difficult. I highly recommend it.

It is interesting to note that this was written over half a century ago. Huxley critiques his own great work, Brave new World, from the perspective of the technologies and advancements made some 20 or so years later than his original classic. His analysis of psychological methodologies, comparing Orwell's work and critiquing neurological studies from the late 30's through to the 1950's, including the use of subliminal messaging is certainly thought provoking. I wonder what he would have made of modern technology? The apparent reduction in attention span of the media-obsessed population juxtaposed by the the underlying free access of uncensored information that the internet revolution has allowed would have made for an intriguing analysis. This is certainly a good read, at the very least from a historical perspective.

Great and prescient book, with a strong historical introduction by Christopher Hitchens.

In 1958 I thought I had read everything Huxley ever wrote and wrote a high school thesis on him entitled “Passion vs. Reason: Self-Division’s Cause. Then I still believed Brave New World was the best of all the book sand essays he wrote. Recently I found Brave New World Revisited also written in 1958 - a treat to read his own review of his dystopian novel written in 1931 and plea for education for freedom.

“In their propaganda today’s dictators rely for the most part on repetition, suppression and rationalization—the repetition of catchwords which they wish to be accepted as true, the suppression of facts which they wish to be ignored, the arousal and rationalization of passions which may be used in the interests of the Party or the State.” (p.37) The chapters in this book amount to a collection of related essays in which Huxley, writing in 1958 (twenty-six years after writing his masterpiece), reflects on the state of the world. It’s thoughtful and well written. It’s certainly an interesting look into the author’s thinking, and I highlighted many fascinating excerpts. But he does too much pontificating for my tastes; I think he’s much better at novels than essays. Even his well-established and extraordinary prescience reaches its limits here. One forgivable but striking example: he repeatedly ranks DDT alongside penicillin as one of the modern world’s most promising achievements. I found him most compelling when he’s commenting explicitly on his book, and especially so when he’s comparing it to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. I would have enjoyed more such commentary. Even more, I wish he’d written a sequel instead of these essays!

The brilliant mind of Aldous Huxley has pointedly shown us what was afoot in 1958, the year I graduated from high school. One of my favorite classes in University was "Social Control." Here are the salient points from that class. It was a big topic and there were several major books at the time. I don't see that conversation continuing now. Perhaps we have gone diwn that road too far. Sadly, it seems we the people didn't heed his and others' warnings. I wish everyone would read this book and think deeply about what he wrote.

It is interesting to see how some problems that were considered intractable at the time of writing (circa 1960) are now ignored, shelved or solved (take your choice). The big two are population and resource depletion. It is now rather passé to worry about these them. Conversely, some problems that are barely mentioned here are now top of mind, namely climate change and pollution. Some have remained constant, such as the struggle to maintain real democracy and political freedom. Who know how Huxley would have felt about latter day developments such as the temptation to well-intentioned censorship and un-personing of dissenters. Perhaps the greatest lesson from rereading this work is “this too will pass”, though one never knows what will pass and for how long.

I did not get the book in the photo. You get the book without the jacket (used look jacket). For a refund only 20%. Ripoff.

A most interesting book. Admittedly, Orwell's 1984 is better and it's sense of doom and oppression compels you to read it again and again. "Brave New World", however, describes a future society that is equally oppressive and terrible, but in a soft form, without torture and secret police. The idea is to convince the people that they are free because there's no better slave than he who doesn't know to be one. In "Brave New World Revisited" Huxley himself reflects about how history and society changed since he wrote his book in the twenties and the early sixties. The shocking conclusion that nowadays is even more true than fifty years ago is that we are slowly but surely drifting into our own version of the Brave New World. Step by step, one little slice after the other our liberty is forgone and lost on the altar of a new society made of security, politically correctness and whatever will be used as an excellent excuse in order to encroach our dwindling spaces of liberty and autonomy. Hence, first read Orwell's 1984, then Huxley's "Brave New World" and finally his "Brave New World Revisited". It's not a comforting view of what lays ahead of us, but knowing the truth may be a good start in order to react.

Author Huxley is a visionary !!! But his visions are scary; written in 1930s he has predicted what's about to happen in the 21st century with alarming accuracy & yet his solutions to overcome the problems seem impossible now... Huxley has broken down into individual chapters the problems plaguing our society & how we are increasingly moving towards a totalitarian regime where people are made to obey not by force but through sheer manipulation of our thoughts. His case studies & historical facts provide indisputable proof for even the naysayers. Almost everything we do, think & act upon are increasingly manipulated by Big Companies & Governments who by & large have shifted to these tactics to maintain stability amidst this chaotic world. Freedom is just a word in theory & Huxley's "Brave New World" exposes this uneasy sham !

Great book, indeed.

This is an essay about you can read at brave new world . is incredibly to find how near we are of this society. And there you will wind editor's point of view.