Theda Skocpol

I'll say up-front that this book most certainly could have used an additional pass with an editor... its structure and writing both suffer from being under-developed. This could be because it's not quite made for a pop audience (the authors are academics, etc), but I'm reviewing it as a pop-poli sci reader, so that's my perspective. Regardless, the picture it paints--a "how we got here" with regard to the American far-right--is helpful and detailed. I first read this book long before the 2016 US election and was grateful for a window into the minds of people with a very fundamentally different politics than my own. Since 2016, I've recommended it to so many friends who were puzzled/surprised by 2016's results.… (more)