{"product_id":"2026200015890-secondhand-the-communistic-societies-of-the-united-states","title":"The Communistic Societies Of The United States","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the decades following the Civil War, America harbored a remarkable secret — dozens of thriving communal societies, each a self-contained world governed by radical ideals of shared labor, religious devotion, and collective ownership. Charles Nordhoff's The Communistic Societies of the United States presents a meticulous, first-hand chronicle of these extraordinary communities, drawing from personal visits and direct observation to document the Economists, Shakers, Amana, Oneida, Bethel, Aurora, Icarian, and other utopian societies in vivid, authoritative detail. He illuminates their religious creeds, social practices, population numbers, industries, and present condition, offering readers an unparalleled window into experiments that challenged the very foundations of American individualism.\n\nA landmark work of social reportage, Nordhoff's account is at once journalistic and deeply humane, balancing empirical rigor with genuine curiosity about what drives men and women to forsake private property and conventional society for a shared communal vision. His prose is clear, methodical, and admirably free of ideological bias — a rare quality for the era — making the book an enduring resource for historians, sociologists, and anyone captivated by the eternal human search for a better way of living together. Prefaced by a scholarly essay from Franklin H. Littell, this edition invites a new generation of readers to ask whether the utopian dream ever truly dies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203266191579,"sku":"2026200015890-SECONDHAND","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/2cd3c3e4-fdd5-4843-9cea-226638c2ffef.png?v=1788146946","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200015890-secondhand-the-communistic-societies-of-the-united-states","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}