The World According to Star Wars

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But with the horrors of Vietnam and President Nixon’s resignation in 1974 after the Watergate scandal, Americans knew that there was also a darker side to their institutions.

A World According to Star Wars was a very well written book. Cass. R Sunstein, the author, did a great job of connecting the Star Wars films to real life. I enjoyed the book and found it fascinating that some aspects of Star Wars are very closely related to pop culture and the modern world. Despite these facts, I thought that the book had too much information crammed into such a small book. Because the book was not very long, it felt as though the amount of information was inappropriate for it's size. However, I did like the book and would recommend it to any die hard Star Wars fan because it truly opens you eyes to some of the very significant messages hidden away in the Star Wars films. Democracy and libertyare always in a trade-off. If all of us give up some freedom, we maximize the freedom of every individual in a state or society. What audiences needed was a big, uplifting work of art that would bring people together in a spirit of camaraderie. Cass R. Sunstein has done it: He's made Star Wars into a valuable legal text. In The World According to Star Wars, he considers the social, political, and moral ramifications of the films' mythology... Sunstein provides new insights into a series we love."-- Slate An enlightening and surprisingly personal tour of a galaxy...Sunstein offers plenty of fun details and opinions.” ( Washington Post)

While Star Wars can be read many different ways, there’s no denying that it was made by a guy from the United States – a country known as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” In 1977, the mood in the United States was pretty gloomy: People were still recovering from the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., and of two Kennedys. On top of that, the economy was in a recession, terrorism was on the rise and the Cold War continued to cause tension. Once again, we see the cascade effect – only this time, rather than a cascade of popularity, it’s a cascade of rebellion. Speaking of smug, apparently this guy used to work in the Obama administration, and he name dropped Obama every chance possible. It was too much. Enlightening...perceptive...Mr. Sunstein comes across as an energetic, friendly dinner-party tablemate.” ( New York Times)

I should have guessed how useless this work was by the repeated mentions of it as a "light" book by various Star Wars podcasts and reviewers. This isn't just light, though. Compared to other commentaries and analyses out there in the Star Wars literature, it's intellectually weightless. kidding! I don’t care which side you’re on, all sci-fi fans welcome, including those who could care less about any of this stuff (if you’re a girl and thought: “What’s going on?” until this point, that might be you). There is a human impulse to like what other people like, since such consensus allows us to feel connected to others and enjoy a shared experience. It was a bait and switch. It felt like I was lied to. I wanted a book about how Star Wars has shaped the world. What I got was a bunch of rambling about things I didn't care about with a Star Wars reference sprinkled in every so often. Take all these factors into account, and it becomes clear that Star Wars is about the price we pay for freedom.In fact, there’s even a book on this topic called The Dharma of Star Wars, written by Matthew Bortolin, a student of the renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Sometimes that means making tough choices, both for individuals and political systems. In the 1970s, America symbolizedthe ultimate freedom, as opposed to the “evil” Soviet empire across the planet. But with scandals like Watergate and the horror of the Vietnam War, liberty also had its dark side. A deeply original celebration of George Lucas' masterpiece as it relates to history, presidential politics, law, economics, fatherhood, and culture by a Harvard legal scholar and former White House advisor. I selected this book because it was written recently. Often summer reading lists included only books written a long time ago. I am familiar with the Star Wars films. I liked the book because it covered topics like politics, parent-child relationships and Star Wars symbolism. Sometimes it was a humorous book which lightened the mood when discussing things like father-son relationships. Sometimes parents and kids don’t talk for a long time. The author says not to do this because you will regret it later. George Lucas the creator and of Star Wars was not on good terms with his dad because he did not go into the family business. One of the book’s standout features is its exploration of the “Star Wars effect” on various aspects of society. Sunstein shows how Star Wars has influenced political debates, legal decisions, and even our understanding of behavioral economics. He argues that the franchise’s success can be attributed to its ability to appeal to our deepest instincts and desires, offering a timeless narrative that speaks to the human condition.

The World According to Star Wars (2016) reveals the many life lessons to be learned from George Lucas’s Star Wars films. Discover what popular science fiction can tell us about ourselves, what Star Wars has to say about the politics of popularity and how we interpret movies and inject our favorite stories with our own ideas. Who is it for? It’s a common misconception that famous creators like Lucas give birth to worlds that are fully formed and planned out in advance; we can call this the myth of creative foresight. I'm so mad about this book. I listened to the audiobook and I don't usually take notes, but I just had to this time. Let's just do bullet points, because it's easier and I'm mad. In Star Wars, the two opposing forces – the Rebels and the Empire – also have to weigh freedom against democracy, just like the individuals in the two camps. For example, while Anakin is free to choose to stay at home and help his parents with their business, he chooses to become a Jedi, which has a high price: him losing his parents, being turned to the dark side and eventually sacrificing himself to save the galaxy.The author also provides a unique perspective on George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, and his journey in bringing this epic saga to life. He examines the challenges Lucas faced, the risks he took, and the impact of his creation on the entertainment industry and popular culture. Sunstein explains how George Lucas did not plan out important plot twists like the famed “I am your father” scene, or Luke and Leia being twins (hence it’s a little creepy now when seeing Luke kissing Leia on screen) when he created the Star Wars universe. In rich detail, Sunstein tells the story of the films' wildly unanticipated success and explores why some things succeed while others fail. Ultimately, Sunstein argues, Star Wars is about freedom of choice and our never-ending ability to make the right decision when the chips are down. Written with buoyant prose and considerable heart, The World According to Star Wars shines a bright new light on the most beloved story of our time.