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A review by mjlin2009
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
4.0
First few chapters give fantastic explanations about the research behind understanding people with views different from you, and I particularly remember the idea of scaling the empathy wall. The book is also admirable for its empathetic character portraits.
However, in the end, and especially reading the appendix, I get the sense that at the end of the day, these rural people mostly just live according to feelings and tradition rather than fact, which is not a flattering description. The author does not say anything negative or much nuanced about left leaning views or protests or anything, which in this case makes the right seem uniquely stupid - despite this book being about empathy.
Also, not that the book claims it sets out to do so, it provides no significant message on how to remedy/reconcile the political spectrum. Therefore, although maybe I empathize a little more in the end, I gotta say that I am not exactly more uplifted or hopeful about the people and progress of the nation. Perhaps a subsequent book can study people who change their minds - in either political direction.
However, in the end, and especially reading the appendix, I get the sense that at the end of the day, these rural people mostly just live according to feelings and tradition rather than fact, which is not a flattering description. The author does not say anything negative or much nuanced about left leaning views or protests or anything, which in this case makes the right seem uniquely stupid - despite this book being about empathy.
Also, not that the book claims it sets out to do so, it provides no significant message on how to remedy/reconcile the political spectrum. Therefore, although maybe I empathize a little more in the end, I gotta say that I am not exactly more uplifted or hopeful about the people and progress of the nation. Perhaps a subsequent book can study people who change their minds - in either political direction.