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blanchebloom's review against another edition
4.0
Some SUPER great and interesting facts- but difficult to get through. It was on the dry side, but the information it presented made it worth the read. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would- I bumped up to 4 because I believe this book is a super important read, but it was difficult for me to push through and stay focused.
alexdpar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
This has to be one of the most transformational political books I have ever listened to. And by listen, I mean LISTEN. There is a whole other side to the audiobook that conveys almost an additional seriousness and emphasis on all the various pieces. While I don’t think the book offers anything new - a lot of this research has existed for a while - the author is able to provide a unique compilation of these sources with a voice of concern, humor, and experience.
What I truly love is that he is not shy from really tackling how most people feel. The average individual is caught up in their own narratives and wants to blame the other side. But they are tired of the two party system, believe politics to be broken, but also feel that politics both impacts them at the highest of levels and yet do not reap prosperity or see any change election after election. And instead of countering those argument, Klein embraces them. He acknowledges his own biases, agrees with the brokenness of the two party system, and doesn’t tell people they are wrong for feeling as though they do not benefit from or are impacted by electoral outcomes.
And he doesn’t ask the reader to seek rigorous or massive change. Just to understand that partisanship can be a tool for engaging in politics, and that we need to engage at the local and state level too, because that is where our lives are impacted most.
Federal politics is a game and we are just pieces - it uses us for its own end. Recognizing that allows us to begin accomplishing the above and recognizing that there is a way to truly come back from these deeply fractured times.
godie_mach's review against another edition
Challenging read. It's slow, highly informative, extremely detailed and takes a very micro approach.
juliaarciga's review against another edition
5.0
The book was a bit long, a bit wordy, but incredibly informative. I learned a lot.