Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 good writer September 27, 2008
She is a great writer and uncovers some interesting trends however, with the holocaust revision, etc it appears quite a few of the "facts" that are the basis of these arguments are off.
Too bad to see such a wasted effort from a relevant intellect
 ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS I HAVE READ. August 17, 2008
MY EDUCATION WOULD BE INCOMPLETE HAD I NOT READ THIS BOOK. EASILY 5 STARS.
Perhaps History Can Turn Our Heads July 5, 2008
There is of course nothing that I can add to the acclamations of the New York Times, the New Leader, and H. Stuart Hughes.
This book makes it clear that for totalitarianism to occur, there must first exist a combination of bourgouisie political power lacking the sense of duty required or the old nobility, a propaganda system reinforced by an arrogant intellectual community, and an alienated mass culture demanding "change".
These elements were present in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, with the complicity of both political parties in the deconstruction of our culture, the stage appears to be set in America.
 Unreadable June 13, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am sure that there are some important points made in this book, but its turgid prose is so difficult to understand, it is not worth the effort. It takes its place on my bookshelf next to Being and Nothingness. Next time you see it on someone's bookshelf, ask them to summarize it, or discuss what they thought of it. You will probably get a few uncomfortable looks.
Arendt's Opus Magnum May 6, 2008
Origins, an incredibly detailed analysis of Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, shows Arendt's versatility in political thought. I have yet to see a political philosopher/thinker publish a work with this much depth to it, and I think it will be a long time before we see anything like it.
Many of the reviews here have done better justice to her legacy, so I will just say that if you are thinking twice about pursuing this work because of it's length, think three times.
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