Originally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Matthew Christopher's Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more.

In "Abandoned America: Dismantling the Dream", internationally acclaimed photographer Matthew Christopher continues his examination of the ruins dotting American cities as quiet catastrophes that have affected not only the nation's past but also its present and future.--Matthew Christopher

A stunningly photographed examination of the roadside icons that dot America's landscape. Lost America celebrates the boom-to-bust towns, aircraft bone yards, and filling stations of days past that were sacrificed at the altars of speed and technology and relegated to windswept desert plains and abandoned fields. The eye-catching and memorable photography is complemented with a succinct text history that details the rise and fall of each subject. The result is an impressive tour of an America still standing, yet largely forgotten.

Stenciled on many of the deactivated facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the evocative phrase “abandoned in place” indicates the structures that have been deserted. Some structures, too solid for any known method of demolition, stand empty and unused in the wake of the early period of US space exploration. Now Roland Miller’s color photographs document the NASA, Air Force, and Army facilities across the nation that once played a crucial role in the space race. Rapidly succumbing to the elements and demolition, most of the blockhouses, launch towers, tunnels, test stands, and control rooms featured in Abandoned in Place are located at secure military or NASA facilities with little or no public access. Some have been repurposed, but over half of the facilities photographed no longer exist. The haunting images collected here impart artistic insight while preserving an important period in history.

An award-winning historian argues that America's obsession with security imperils our democracy in this "compelling" portrait of cultural anxiety (Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time). For the last sixty years, fear has seeped into every area of American life: Americans own more guns than citizens of any other country, sequester themselves in gated communities, and retreat from public spaces. And yet, crime rates have plummeted, making life in America safer than ever. Why, then, are Americans so afraid-and where does this fear lead to? In this remarkable work of social history, Elaine Tyler May demonstrates how our obsession with security has made citizens fear each other and distrust the government, making America less safe and less democratic. Fortress America charts the rise of a muscular national culture, undercutting the common good. Instead of a thriving democracy of engaged citizens, we have become a paranoid, bunkered, militarized, and divided vigilante nation.

"From right wing conservatives to Wall Street fat cats, progressive writer Jill Cody delivers a no-holds-barred look at a country that's becoming politically, morally and financially bankrupt." -- Thom Hartmann, nationally syndicated talk show host and bestselling authorThe American people have been abandoned. Behemoth corporations, the uber-rich, the media, Congress, and the Supreme Court have withdrawn their support from "We, the People", in spite of their duty, allegiance, or responsibility to American citizens. Billionaires and corporations are flourishing as they abandon loyalty to employees and American citizens. The same wealthy people and corporations are hoarding billions of dollars offshore to avoid paying taxes while privatizing their profits and subsidizing their losses. By doing so, they are intentionally abandoning their civic responsibility for the obscene accumulation of profit, and are impeding the government's ability to serve the public good.When you read this eye-opening expose ́, you will discover:* who launched the Velvet Coup* which seminal moments in U.S. history are threatening our democracy today* what Citizen Voter Type you are, and how to become a powerful citizen* what Living in the Black or Living in the Red means, and how those choices could either rescue or ruin America* how we can reconstruct our lives and laws to save our middle class and democracy.Jill Cody, a well-known, influential educator, consultant and advocate, presents an expanded view of abandonment to illustrate how this calculated crisis is destroying our democracy. This book's optimism speaks to the hope that, when we realize we have lost something of great value, we will fight to get it back. After reading America Abandoned, you will know it is time to take a stand, be bold, and recapture our democracy.