John Farrenkopf's “Prophet of Decline” is one of those
rare books that speak completely for themselves. It's an excellent introduction
to the life, thought and context of Oswald Spengler, renowned philosopher of
pessimism and author of “The Decline of the West”. Farrenkopf is relatively
sympathetic to Spengler, arguing that many features of the United States are
similar to those Spengler believed would characterize a German world empire. He
is also fascinated by Spengler's “Man and Technics”, in which the philosopher
revises many of his fundamental ideas in an even more apocalyptic direction. A
good book if you actually tried to read Spengler's magnum opus, and failed!
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