This book begins with a presupposition. The subtitle of the work implies that you, the reader, share in the belief that the modern Western paradigm is encased in a cultural cocoon that is fortified by a subtle socialization birthed of mass media messages. If you agree with that construct, even somewhat, read on. If you disagree with that concept, whether mildly or vehemently, may we first challenge you to read the studies and statistics put forth in this book, analyzing the scientific, biological, and sociological data thoroughly, and weighing the evidence carefully? The hallmark of a free society lies within its citizens' willingness to speak to one another respectfully and charitably--yet openly--with regard to our observations and opinions. It is to this free exchange of ideas that we, the authors, appeal. In 1946, an experimental drug was introduced into the United States' consciousness. Its ubiquitous nature makes it as imperceptibly prevalent as water, while its potency makes it as insidiously powerful as strychnine. The drug's popularity rose from 0 percent in 1946 to a staggering 98 percent in 2009, with its early models spawning later offspring that boasted larger taps, instant connectivity, and the potential for a continuous high. Today, its wares are promulgated from every corner of the house: the living room, the bedroom, the office, the kitchen, even the bathroom. In fact, the modern American home contains more dispensers of the drug than it does indoor toilets. Over the last 60 years, the maddening concoctions spewing forth from its spigots appear to have impacted the emotional health of millions upon millions of people, spreading malaise throughout the civilized world and reaching into the far corners of the earth, leaving two generations pleading in silent helplessness for relief. Its populace, millions strong and nurtured on the mind-numbing narcotic for over 60 successive years, is characterized by a host of predictable emotions--anger, depression, anxiety, restlessness, self-loathing. These are the effects of a media-central society. But there is something you can do to escape the grasp of this postmodern pandemic sweeping the planet: Don't drink the water. Or, at the very least, test the tainted water for potential aftereffects. This we shall do in the pages to come. This is a book about paradigms, worldviews, lenses, interpretations. Our paradigms are difficult to scrutinize with great accuracy, for an intricate process is required for any of us to interpret with even relative precision the culture we live in: We are part of the system we attempt to analyze. And, as sociologists note, a fish is oblivious to the water it swims in. However, if we are able to step out of our solitary seas and take a momentary leap into the global perspective of socialization, we may be surprised at the messages that have shaped our existing paradigms--and how these messages may have kept us from the true pursuit of life and liberty. This book is, in essence, a written quest for answers--answers that help make sense of the impact of socio-environmental influences on human behavior, connections between humans and the environment in which they live.
