byrdy 's review for:

Democracy in America: The Complete and Unabridged Volumes I and II by Alexis de Tocqueville, Joseph Epstein

4.0

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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I'm still processing this read, but I will say it was far more nuanced and objective than I was expecting, and I really enjoyed seeing the U.S. through an outsider's eyes. Not much has changed since 1831. In these troubled political times, quotes like this stood out to me:

...although a democracy is more liable to error than a monarch or a body of nobles; the chances of its regaining the right path when once it has acknowledged its mistake, are greater also; because it is rarely embarrassed by internal interests, which conflict with those of the majority, and resist the authority of reason. But a democracy can only obtain truth as the result of experience, and many nations may forfeit their existence whilst they are waiting the consequences of their errors. 

This is a difficult read mostly due to the outdated language and depending on how you feel about the state of democracy in America currently, so be prepared if you attempt it (and I do think you should attempt it). But I also am glad I read it because it answered the question I have been asking for over a decade: why has our republic lasted while so many others in this world have failed and what are the dangers to it? I'll let you read the book if you are curious about the answer.