The Irish Times - Saturday, July 4, 2009

American dream - dead or alive?

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. “This will be the line that defines Obama’s inaugural address. It is a warning to the outlaw pioneers of the boom times and the ordinary Americans infected by gold-rush delusions.

It eventually turns into an appeal for more ritual, for a renewal of personal discipline and a rebirth of civic life.” Thus RTÉ’s Mark Little assesses Obama’s inaugural speech in a new edition of his book crafted from his documentary series American Dream: Dead or Alive , broadcast in February 2008. The New America and the Rise of the Obama Generation is published by New Island Books (€12.99).