The World Turned Upside Down: Timothy Goeglein’s Latest Book

‘Stumbling Toward Utopia’ comprehensively explains how the 1960s’ utopian dream has failed and what we need to do to move beyond it.

"Stumbling Toward Utopia: How the 1960s Turned Into a National Nightmare and How We Can Revive the American Dream," by Timothy S. Goeglein.

In September 1971, at the tail end of the many upheavals of the 1960s, John Lennon’s “Imagine” became not only a wildly successful hit song but also an anthem for utopians worldwide. Lennon’s lyrics ask listeners to imagine a world without a heaven or hell, without borders or possessions, and with a “brotherhood of man” living in peace.

The song ends this way:

You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one.

Millions fell in love with “Imagine” and love it still. Others find it as slick and treacly a piece of propaganda ever produced. The serene music and Lennon’s smooth voice are enormously attractive—the song enters the consciousness with the hypnotic ease of water lapping at a shore—yet the lyrics ignore such human realities as the belief in a higher power, the association between possessions and dignity, and the fool’s gold mysticism of a brotherhood of man.