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stuhlsem's review
3.0
I do strongly recommend about 2/3 of this book (I definitely skipped the chapters about things/people I hadn't heard of...guess I'm not rich enough [yet]). Mostly it was really interesting to read Lehmann's analysis of the ways the Democratic Party has become a party of the rich, leaving behind its commitment to the working poor. I enjoyed his writing (and his criticism of Malcolm Gladwell) very much.
gn606's review
1.0
Coming from someone who doesn't have an extensive vocabulary nor is an academic, I wish this book was easier to read/ understand. Upon reading the title/ description I was eager to understand how the wealthy class runs our society yet it seemed only those well educated could understand it, which is ironic since those who are highly educated tend to have more money than those who aren't. I would have enjoyed the book more if it were meant to be read by the every day worker just trying to understand class differences and educate themselves. Definitely does not end with a revolutionary tone to inspire readers to change the current situation. Instead the last chapter "Language" was filled with irony. Lehmann explains how those in power change the language around things and make it more difficult for non-wealthy people to understand, which in turn keeps them in power and the poor taken advantage of. The language in this book was beyond complex and therefore does nothing to educate or help those most disadvantaged by the wealthy.
amyb24's review
2.0
This book was interesting for me because I fundamentally agree with many of the author's observations, but felt frustrated that his essays rarely moved beyond observation and criticism to what I would call analysis. At one point, I found myself thinking "Damn, he really hates rich people!" I was looking for more insight than vitriol and didn't feel like the book delivered. As others have noted, Lehmann is clearly a very smart guy who writes well. If I'd come to his book with a more accurate sense of what it would offer me, I might have given it 3 stars.
luckybommireddy's review
3.0
like a listicle in academic book form; long form versions of points i’ve seen made on twitter; i can see why neoliberals wouldn’t like this or would be inclined to call him angry lol
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