Reluctant Modernism: American Thought and Culture, 1880-1900
The contribution of this book to the field is that it is a well-organized, clearly written, and very readable work on this period in American thought and culture. It will be a welcome addition to the literature and should easily be used in undergraduate courses on nineteenth-century American culture. (Regina Morantz-Sanchez, University of Michigan)This fine book is both a useful summary and an original treatment of a uniquely interesting and pivotal period. (James Hoopes, Babson College)In a comprehensive synthesis of recent scholarship as well as a reconsideration of sources from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, George Cotkin provides an impressive interpretation of U.S. thought and culture at a time of intellectual upheaval and culture clash. . . . Cotkin's exposition is lucid, his generalizations are largely convincing, and his incorporation of recent scholarship is admirable. (The Historian)Reluctant Modernismis an elegant, timely synthesis. The study is a gift to historians and students, uniquely probing the minds of male and female intellectuals in the period and illuminating major changes in post-Darwinian American culture. (Sarah Elbert, SUNY Binghamton)