Russell Jacoby’s books range in topic from the place of psychology in American society (Social Amnesia: A Critique of Conformist Psychology) to the role of utopian thought (The End of Utopia: Politics and Culture in the Age of Apathy) and the origins of violence (Bloodlust: On the Roots of Violence from Cain and Abel to the Present). His The Last Intellectuals: American Culture in the Age of Academe introduced into the lexicon the term “public intellectual” and is considered one of the essential texts of American letters. Originally from New York, he has a PhD in history from the University of Rochester, where he worked with Christopher Lasch. He lives in Los Angeles and teaches history at UCLA. In 2017 Jacoby was short-listed for the Times Literary Supplement’s All Authors Must Have Prizes Prize.
