The True and Only Heaven

Lasch’s history of the American critics of progress — populists, syndicalists, Calvinists, Niebuhr — and his argument that the idea of limitless improvement is a peculiar faith rather than an observation.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the replies to @SpencrGreenberg asking what non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world really works — a crowd-sourced list Kyle recovered by hand and saved.

Where I saw it: In the replies to @SpencrGreenberg asking “What non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world (or how humanity or society) really works?” (June 5, 2025). Kyle recovered the reply list by hand and saved it to his “Books To Read” Apple Note; the full transcribed list lives on A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet).

Connections

• A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• Progress — the idea the book is an argument with.
• Historical Futurism — the portfolio idea this sits closest to.