Argues that the American left needs a new and compelling spiritual basis for its politics, and that its seeds can be discovered in Thoreau's spiritual politics of refusal and a return to human "fundamentals" especially work, home, and food. Along the way, White offers a reading of the cult classic Office Space, a critique of Bill Maher's political comedy, and other cultural commentary. He includes provocative interviews with James Howard Kunstler, John de Graaf, and Michael Ableman.