The good news: America is on the brink of a renaissance. The bad news: Many companies, the media, and even the general population still see America as an intellectual and cultural wasteland defined by reality television and fast food. In this groundbreaking book, cultural specialist Patricia Martin challenges the above presumption and argues that we are on the precipice of a major cultural renaissance. Who we are and what we care about is shifting¡Xand a new set of imperatives, products, behaviors, and ambitions is emerging.