The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture is a non-fiction book written in 1977 by Wendell Berry, an American writer, poet, and farmer. In the book, Berry explains how modern industrial farming in the United States harms the land, weakens rural communities, and causes people to lose their connection to the land and traditions. The book is considered an important work in discussions about farming and environmental values.

Background

Wendell Berry, a farmer and writer from Kentucky, has been writing essays, stories, and poems about farming and the environment since the 1960s. By the mid-1970s, he became a well-known critic of the U.S. agricultural system. His book The Unsettling of America was written because of his worries about how industrial farming harmed the environment and culture. The book shared his beliefs about farming, including the importance of strong local communities, taking care of the land, and the duties farmers have to protect it.

Synopsis

Berry explains that moving from small, varied family farms to large, machine-based farming that relies heavily on chemicals causes serious problems. He says that industrial farming focuses on making money and being efficient instead of protecting the environment and helping communities. This leads to harm to the environment, fewer family farms, weaker rural areas, treating land and people as products, and a loss of connection to the land and how to care for it. Berry contrasts this with a farming idea that values limits, loyalty to a place, and understanding how humans and nature depend on each other.

In an afterword added to the third edition of the book published in 1996, Berry summarizes that the book argues "industrial agriculture and the ideas behind it are completely wrong; I believe this type of farming comes from the worst parts of human history and human nature." He also says the book was written "because I believed we were living under an idea that was harming our land, our communities, and our culture—and we still are."

Reception and legacy

Upon its release, The Unsettling of America was recognized for its strong writing and important messages about right and wrong. It had a big impact on people who study the environment, religion, and farming. Donald Hall, who wrote about the book in the New York Times, said Berry is "a prophet of our healing, a poet who also helps create laws for a better future, like William Blake." Russell Kirk, who reviewed the book in the Birmingham News, compared Berry to the ancient Roman poet Virgil. He said Berry's writing is both thoughtful and poetic, and that he writes in a way that deeply moves readers. Kirk called Berry "a great friend to humane culture."

The book is now considered a classic and one of Berry's most important works. It is also seen as a key piece in the writing about American farming. Berry's ideas influenced later writers and activists, including those who support the local food movement and those who promote regenerative agriculture.

Publication history

The book The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture has been published again many times since it was first released, showing its continued importance. The table below lists important editions of the book.

Parts of the book have also been included in several collections of Wendell Berry's writings, such as The Art of the Commonplace and The World-Ending Fire.