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Downsizing the U.S.A.
by Thomas Naylor and William Willimon
Eerdmans / 1997/ Softcover
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From Super-size fries to mega-churches to a politics of empire, the United States has capitalized upon the maxim that "bigger is better." In this poignant book, an economist (Naylor) and a preacher (Willimon) join forces to craft an argument against the tendency toward bigness in American culture. Drawing on their pooled training and expertise, the
authors challenge many facets of American bigness: big corporations, big government, big military, big cities, big schools, and even big churches. A recurring theme amidst the bevy of arguments against bigness is that there is a correlation between bigness and the breakdown of community, and community - the authors maintain - is the place where we exist most freely and fruitfully as human beings. Thus, Naylor and Willimon argue that the movement away from bigness is essential to health of the human species.
Although none of the arguments against the various facets of bigness in American culture are given a particularly thorough treatment, this book is a wonderful introductory work that helps one to recognize the ways in which our culture values bigness and the consequences that we pay in
pursuit of largeness. It is easy to read and would serve well as a pre-read to more focused topical works like Neil Postman's The End of Education or the economic essays of Wendell Berry. It also is an excellent resource because the authors take pains at every turn to point the reader to a host of more thorough works that elaborate upon their arguments.
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