Now entering fantasyland

Part I. The conjuring of America: 1517-1789

I believe, therefore I am right: the Protestants

All that glitters: the gold-seekers

Building our own private heaven on Earth: the Puritans

The God-given freedom to believe in God

Imaginary friends and enemies: the early satanic panics

The first me century: religion gets American

Meanwhile, in the 18th century reality-based community

Part II. United States of amazing: the 1800s

The first great delirium

The all-American fan fiction of Joseph Smith, prophet

Quack nation: magical but modern

Fantastic business: the gold rush inflection point

In search of monsters to destroy: the conspiracy-theory habit

The war between states of mind

Ten million little houses on the prairie

Fantasy industrialized

Part III. A long arc bending toward reason: 1900-1960

Progress and backlash

The biggest backlash: brand new old-time religion

The business of America is show business

Big rock candy mountains: utopia in the suburbs and the sun

The 1950s seemed so normal

Part IV. Big bang: the 1960s and 70s

Big bang: the hippies

Big bang: the intellectuals

Big bang: the Christians

Big bang: politics and government and conspiracies

Big bang: living in a land of entertainment

Part V. Fantasyland scales: from the 1980s through the turn of the century

Making make-believe more realistic and real life more make-believe

Forever young: kids r us syndrome

The Reagan era and the start of the digital age

American religion from the turn of the millennium

Our wilder Christianities: belief and practice

America versus the godless civilized world: why are we so exceptional?

Magical but not necessarily Christian, spiritual but not religious

Blue-chip witch doctors: the reenchantment of medicine

How the mainstream enabled fantasyland: squishies, cynics and believers

Anything goes

unless it picks my pocket or breaks my leg

Part VI. The problem with fantasyland: from the 1980s to the present and beyond

The inmates running the asylum decide monsters are everywhere

Reality is a conspiracy: the x-filing of America

Mad as hell, the new voice of the people

When the GOP went off the rails

Liberals denying science

Gun crazy

Final fantasy-industrial complex

Our inner children? They're going to Disney World!

The economic dreamtime

As fantasyland goes, so goes the nation.

Now entering Fantasyland

Part I: The conjuring of America: 1517-1789. I believe, therefore I am right : the Protestants ; All that glitters : the gold-seekers ; Building our own private heaven on Earth : the Puritans ; The God-given freedom to believe in God ; Imaginary friends and enemies : the early satanic panics ; The first me century : religion gets American ; Meanwhile, in the eighteenth-century reality-based community

Part II: United States of amazing: the 1800s. The first great delirium ; The all-American fan fiction of Joseph Smith, prophet ; Quack nation : magical but modern ; Fantastic business : the gold rush inflection point ; In search of monsters to destroy : the conspiracy theory habit ; The war between states of mind ; Ten million little houses on the prairie ; Fantasy industrialized

Part III: A long arc bending toward reason: 1900-1960. Progress and backlash ; The biggest backlash : brand-new old-time religion ; The business of America is show business ; Big rock candy mountains : utopia in the suburbs and the sun ; The 1950s seemed so normal

Part IV: Big bang : the 1960s and '70s. Big bang : the hippies ; Big bang : the intellectuals ; Big bang : the Christians ; Big bang : politics and government and conspiracies ; Big bang : living in a land of entertainment

Part V: Fantasyland scales : from the 1980s through the turn of the century. Making make-believe more realistic and real life more make-believe ; Forever young : kids "r" us syndrome ; The Reagan era and the start of the digital age ; American religion from the turn of the millennium ; Our wilder Christianities : belief and practice ; America versus the godless civilized world : why are we so exceptional? ; Magical but not necessarily Christian, spiritual but not religious ; Blue-chip witch doctors : the re-enchantment of medicine ; How the mainstream enabled fantasyland : squishies, cynics, and believers ; Anything goes

unless it picks my pocket or breaks my leg

Part VI: The problem with fantasyland : from the 1980s to the present and beyond. The inmates running the asylum decide monsters are everywhere ; Reality is a conspiracy : the x-filing of America ; Mad as hell, the new voice of the people ; When the GOP went off the rails ; Liberals denying science ; Gun crazy ; Final fantasy-industrial complex ; Our inner children? They're going to Disney World! ; The economic dreamtime ; As fantasyland goes, so goes the nation.