For Shame: The Loss of Common Decency in American Culture

A generation ago, outrageous Americans like Joey Buttafuoco & O.J. Simpson would have been scorned. Christian mega-churches would have been viewed with suspicion. Self-help books, the recovery movement, & grade inflation didn't exist. Today, celebrity is its own reward, & every American has the right high self-esteem. There is no stigma attached to bad behavior -- as long as the perpetrator truly repents. Twitchell offers a fascinating & original look at shame & shamelessness in American culture, taking to task everyone from conservative hypocrites to bleeding-heart liberals. You just may decide to reexamine "the social good of feeling bad."