Sara Paretsky: Writing in an Age of Silence

In this book, Sara Paretsky writes, among other things, about the roots of the American culture of individualism. It was a remarkable read that describes the historical evolution of American ideals through the literary characters emerging out of each period in history. I found an interesting description of the 'American Dream': "The American Dream is of a private home with a private yard, in which each child has their own room, their own iPod, their own computer and, by the time they're twelve or even younger, their own cell phones. We spend our waking moments plugged into our portable entertainment centers, our iPods, and our Game Boys... We seem, in short, to withdraw as far as possible from each other, encased in our worlds of sound."
While individualism is good for diversity, American culture seems to take it to an extremity.