“The most outstanding characteristic of Eastern civilization is to know contentment, whereas that of Western civilization is not to know contentment. Contented Easterners are satisfied with their simple life and therefore do not seek to increase their material enjoyment... They are satisfied with their present lot and environment and therefore do not want to conquer nature but merely be at home with nature and at peace with their lot.” KnowsWantHomeSimpleEnvironmentMaterialsCivilizationIncreaseWesternSatisfiedConquerEnjoymentCharacteristicsContentmentConsumerismEasternOutstandingSimple LifeOverconsumptionWestern Civilization Author:Hu Shih
“John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' also speaks urgently to today's concerns: the cratered trail of dreams for Mexican immigrants seeking a promised land in the Western [United States]; the perfidy of banks in foreclosing on poor people's homes; and the insurgent urge of the book's protagonist, Tom Joad, to speak truth to police power. 'Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy,' Tom promises, 'I'll be there.' In Salinas, Calif., Ferguson, Mo., or Staten Island, N.Y., Tom's truth goes marching on.” PeopleBookStatesHomeDreamTodayGuySpeakPoorUnitedUnited StatesLandPromiseConcernPoliceWesternSeekingIslandsUrgesImmigrantsTomsCopPoor PeopleTrailsWrathMexicanGrapesSpeak The TruthProtagonistsInsurgentPromised LandFergusonPolice PowerPerfidyMarching On Author:Richard Corliss
“This Western culture of ours tends to sacrifice the full range of experience to a lower common denominator that's acceptable to more people; we end up with McDonald's instead of real food, Holiday Inns instead of homes, and USA Today instead of news and cultural analysis. And we do that with the rest of our lives.” PeopleRealEndsHomeTodayCultureCommonOur LivesSacrificeNewsWesternRangeAnalysisUsaHolidayMediocrityAcceptableMcdonaldsCommon DenominatorWestern CultureInnsReal Food Author:Kate Bornstein