kjboldon's review against another edition
4.0
Almond posits that we are a country in thrall.tk bad stories, untrue and harmful ones that are kicking all of our butts. Instead, he lobbies for truth, action, empathy, and the generation of good stories that point us toward betterment. A tonic read in today's strident arena.
meganpbell's review against another edition
5.0
Drawing on history, literature, and criticism, Steve Almond of Dear Sugars parses the bad stories that led to the ultimate bad outcome in November of 2016. This book gave me a much greater understanding of the cultural forces that led to the election of Donald Trump, and I feel more informed and empowered because of it. A quick, accessible read that I’ll be thinking about and recommending for a long time to come.
bjr2022's review against another edition
5.0
This book is staggeringly good. I was familiar with Steve Almond from his short stories, but this is straight journalism at its best (which he teaches at Harvard). (It is clear from Almond’s thought processes and messages to students, presented in this volume, that he is a great teacher and seasoned journalist.)
In reviewing, there is a tendency to break down books about politics into bullet-point messages, and I hesitate to do that because it would misrepresent Bad Stories as something much smaller than it is.
So what is it?
Because of Almond’s conversational writing style, it is easily readable and offers up documented mind-blowing insights like hors d’oeuvres. Hence, Bad Stories is a huge, readable 237-page revelation of profound insights gleaned from connecting dots that we-the-people largely prefer not to see.
At its root is the premise that if we tell ourselves, and believe, bad stories, we will inevitably live them—belief creates reality, or more accurately, those beliefs we don’t fully acknowledge, examine, and understand create unconscious actions that create reality. This is not a new idea, but Almond makes it new by spotlighting our shadow (our denied self, per Jung) through the bad stories that we believe so fervently that they have resulted in our current predictable situation—starting with our belief that we are a country founded on the notion that all people are created equal. (That took me-the-reader instantly into the eye of the upset and my body went into such an extreme reaction, I had to put the book down and go for a walk in nature to recover.)
In each chapter, Almond relates stories—from Moby-Dick, to tales of the reasons for the Electoral College, to a magical liberal belief that court jesters like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can rescue us (even as they erode our urgency to react seriously). The stories vibrate—and sometimes electrocute the unsuspecting reader—with upsetting truth because they are not relegated to Republican or Democratic or Independent or anarchistic belief. They are we-the-people’s stories (and although it seems obvious, I’ll add that the Fourth Estate, which is fiercely examined, is a component of we-the-people). We own these stories and we created our present environment out of them. They are stories written by all of us, but the foundational one is the creation of white American society—the story of people who founded a country via genocide, enslaved people, knew we were doing the wrong thing but justified it, and now function with a legacy of subconscious fear of retribution from “dark people,” resulting in the present paranoia and nationalism. (For a look at the repercussions of this bad story--enduring trauma--from the side of those who were victimized, see Monnica Williams's article.) We are a country who enjoys not knowing; clings to our “unserious” right not to know or care or even vote; deeply enjoys fear, loathing, and anger at “other;” unknowingly cherishes the negative pleasure of being helpless and will twist it into a pretzel-shaped projection if confronted by contradiction; and will defend our beliefs, condemning those who do not agree as “the enemy,” because we believe our life depends on it.
This is a brilliant and deeply upsetting book; the antidote for a denied shadow is illumination, and the shock at seeing a denied part of ourselves can be an identity crisis. But out of that crisis can arise the possibility of “dream[ing] up stories that offer a vision of the American spirit as one of kindness and decency . . . ”
For the brave and curious, here is the book’s website: Bad Stories. It launches April 1, 2018, from Red Hen Press, which was kind enough to send me a review copy.
A contemplation, several days after finishing this book:
I wish everybody would read Bad Stories, but that is a fantasy. My wish stems from the book's "slow-bomb clarity" exploding in my head, concurrent with learning that the Parkland students, survivors of the mass shooting at their high school, essentially trained rigorously for their present activism by researching, amassing a database of facts, and debating both sides of gun control as part of a Broward County debate program, one of the largest in the country, "that teaches extemporaneous speaking from an early age." What's happening is not magic. It is the product of methodical work colliding with horrible trauma.
The revelations of Bad Stories are our secret addictions to feeling angry, scared, helpless, or removed from the current mess. Our addiction to the ENTERTAINMENT of it all. The easiest way to evolve out of that is (1) to acknowledge it, then (2) train, as these students did, and therefore be able to (3) act.
I am a writer who is uncomfortable confronting people about their beliefs, so I would hate knocking on doors to try to persuade people to vote for a certain candidate. But I can write. So I am writing this little contemplation. And I'll look for other venues where writing can be helpful. (Can you guess what my addiction has been? Helplessness.)
If you are out-of-your-mind angry, maybe use that energy to organize people.
If you are crazy scared, maybe join some organization (there are certainly enough of them) being organized by more energetic, confrontational folks, and follow.
Yelling on Facebook or Twitter is no more an action than thoughts and prayers are. Getting out the vote is.
In reviewing, there is a tendency to break down books about politics into bullet-point messages, and I hesitate to do that because it would misrepresent Bad Stories as something much smaller than it is.
So what is it?
Because of Almond’s conversational writing style, it is easily readable and offers up documented mind-blowing insights like hors d’oeuvres. Hence, Bad Stories is a huge, readable 237-page revelation of profound insights gleaned from connecting dots that we-the-people largely prefer not to see.
At its root is the premise that if we tell ourselves, and believe, bad stories, we will inevitably live them—belief creates reality, or more accurately, those beliefs we don’t fully acknowledge, examine, and understand create unconscious actions that create reality. This is not a new idea, but Almond makes it new by spotlighting our shadow (our denied self, per Jung) through the bad stories that we believe so fervently that they have resulted in our current predictable situation—starting with our belief that we are a country founded on the notion that all people are created equal. (That took me-the-reader instantly into the eye of the upset and my body went into such an extreme reaction, I had to put the book down and go for a walk in nature to recover.)
In each chapter, Almond relates stories—from Moby-Dick, to tales of the reasons for the Electoral College, to a magical liberal belief that court jesters like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can rescue us (even as they erode our urgency to react seriously). The stories vibrate—and sometimes electrocute the unsuspecting reader—with upsetting truth because they are not relegated to Republican or Democratic or Independent or anarchistic belief. They are we-the-people’s stories (and although it seems obvious, I’ll add that the Fourth Estate, which is fiercely examined, is a component of we-the-people). We own these stories and we created our present environment out of them. They are stories written by all of us, but the foundational one is the creation of white American society—the story of people who founded a country via genocide, enslaved people, knew we were doing the wrong thing but justified it, and now function with a legacy of subconscious fear of retribution from “dark people,” resulting in the present paranoia and nationalism. (For a look at the repercussions of this bad story--enduring trauma--from the side of those who were victimized, see Monnica Williams's article.) We are a country who enjoys not knowing; clings to our “unserious” right not to know or care or even vote; deeply enjoys fear, loathing, and anger at “other;” unknowingly cherishes the negative pleasure of being helpless and will twist it into a pretzel-shaped projection if confronted by contradiction; and will defend our beliefs, condemning those who do not agree as “the enemy,” because we believe our life depends on it.
This is a brilliant and deeply upsetting book; the antidote for a denied shadow is illumination, and the shock at seeing a denied part of ourselves can be an identity crisis. But out of that crisis can arise the possibility of “dream[ing] up stories that offer a vision of the American spirit as one of kindness and decency . . . ”
For the brave and curious, here is the book’s website: Bad Stories. It launches April 1, 2018, from Red Hen Press, which was kind enough to send me a review copy.
* * *
A contemplation, several days after finishing this book:
I wish everybody would read Bad Stories, but that is a fantasy. My wish stems from the book's "slow-bomb clarity" exploding in my head, concurrent with learning that the Parkland students, survivors of the mass shooting at their high school, essentially trained rigorously for their present activism by researching, amassing a database of facts, and debating both sides of gun control as part of a Broward County debate program, one of the largest in the country, "that teaches extemporaneous speaking from an early age." What's happening is not magic. It is the product of methodical work colliding with horrible trauma.
The revelations of Bad Stories are our secret addictions to feeling angry, scared, helpless, or removed from the current mess. Our addiction to the ENTERTAINMENT of it all. The easiest way to evolve out of that is (1) to acknowledge it, then (2) train, as these students did, and therefore be able to (3) act.
I am a writer who is uncomfortable confronting people about their beliefs, so I would hate knocking on doors to try to persuade people to vote for a certain candidate. But I can write. So I am writing this little contemplation. And I'll look for other venues where writing can be helpful. (Can you guess what my addiction has been? Helplessness.)
If you are out-of-your-mind angry, maybe use that energy to organize people.
If you are crazy scared, maybe join some organization (there are certainly enough of them) being organized by more energetic, confrontational folks, and follow.
Yelling on Facebook or Twitter is no more an action than thoughts and prayers are. Getting out the vote is.
eeb3's review against another edition
4.0
This book will likely appeal more to those in the political center to the political left, but the stories and misconceptions that it unpacks are valuable lessons for any of us trying to move forward thoughtfully and responsibly in a highly polarized, tense, and increasingly apathetic time in American common life.
taisie22's review against another edition
5.0
This is a well-written and well-researched book about what happened in the 2016 election in our country. While I knew a lot of it, Mr. Almond has presented it in a logical and clear form. Every day I'm outraged and reading this book has helped me understand better how to deal with my frustration.
There are no magic bullets, but these bad stories as explanations to how this happened do help to some degree.
An important read for our times.
There are no magic bullets, but these bad stories as explanations to how this happened do help to some degree.
An important read for our times.
ihor's review against another edition
5.0
Bad Stories is tremendous, enlightening and heartbreaking in equal measure. A high-level yet deep inquiry and analysis of what got our country to this point. Loved it!
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
4.0
Every American should read this book. The author takes on the daunting task of answering the question in his subtitle: What the hell just happened to our country? Each chapter takes on a "bad story" or myth, addresses our collective misconceptions or conventional wisdom, and tries to get at the truth. He distills down much of our political discord and corruption into something we can all understand, using both historical and psychological analysis. I'm telling you, it's good.
And he does not hold back. He is upfront about being a progressive who voted for Bernie Sanders, but he is unflinching in spreading the blame for where America is now: the Reagan Administration for eliminating the Fairness Doctrine, giving birth to the toxic media environment we now find ourselves in. The media for telling itself it's merely reporting on the circus, when in fact they are the ones creating it. Yes, that includes the so-called "liberal" media. Us, the American People, for being cynical and jaded and not turning up to vote when it matters. James Comey and President Obama, for being so sure that Trump could never win, they decided to withhold from the voters the very relevant information that Trump and his campaign were under an FBI investigation for colluding with Russia. Meanwhile, voters could not pick up a copy of The New York Times without reading a story about Hillary's emails. He even takes a hard look at the Progressives' (and my beloved) sacred cow, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (He didn't comment on the current iteration, hosted by my also-beloved Trevor Noah.)
To go a bit further on his critique of the media and its coverage of the 2016 election: he cites a post-election study, conducted by Harvard's Shorenstein Center, which revealed that just ten percent of the 2016 election coverage focused on policy. TEN PERCENT. He quotes CBS Chairman Les Moonves, who said, "It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS." Moonves went on to characterize the campaign as a "circus" but insisted "Donald's place in this election is a good thing. Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now?...The money's rolling in and this is fun. I've never seen anything like this, and this is going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It's a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going."
This should outrage us all. It should also give us a moment of self-reflection. What were we more likely to tune in to, to click on and repost? News reports that highlighted how crazy those GOP primaries were, and then the hours of "analysis" that discussed the crazy while ignoring any discussion of policy? Articles that stoked our sense of how right we are (and how wrong the other side is)? Memes that mocked how idiotic Trump and his supporters looked? Our country has some serious soul-searching to do.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is when Almond quotes American journalist and culture critic H.L. Mencken, who died in 1956: "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
I believe that great and glorious day has come to pass.
And he does not hold back. He is upfront about being a progressive who voted for Bernie Sanders, but he is unflinching in spreading the blame for where America is now: the Reagan Administration for eliminating the Fairness Doctrine, giving birth to the toxic media environment we now find ourselves in. The media for telling itself it's merely reporting on the circus, when in fact they are the ones creating it. Yes, that includes the so-called "liberal" media. Us, the American People, for being cynical and jaded and not turning up to vote when it matters. James Comey and President Obama, for being so sure that Trump could never win, they decided to withhold from the voters the very relevant information that Trump and his campaign were under an FBI investigation for colluding with Russia. Meanwhile, voters could not pick up a copy of The New York Times without reading a story about Hillary's emails. He even takes a hard look at the Progressives' (and my beloved) sacred cow, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (He didn't comment on the current iteration, hosted by my also-beloved Trevor Noah.)
To go a bit further on his critique of the media and its coverage of the 2016 election: he cites a post-election study, conducted by Harvard's Shorenstein Center, which revealed that just ten percent of the 2016 election coverage focused on policy. TEN PERCENT. He quotes CBS Chairman Les Moonves, who said, "It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS." Moonves went on to characterize the campaign as a "circus" but insisted "Donald's place in this election is a good thing. Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now?...The money's rolling in and this is fun. I've never seen anything like this, and this is going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It's a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going."
This should outrage us all. It should also give us a moment of self-reflection. What were we more likely to tune in to, to click on and repost? News reports that highlighted how crazy those GOP primaries were, and then the hours of "analysis" that discussed the crazy while ignoring any discussion of policy? Articles that stoked our sense of how right we are (and how wrong the other side is)? Memes that mocked how idiotic Trump and his supporters looked? Our country has some serious soul-searching to do.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is when Almond quotes American journalist and culture critic H.L. Mencken, who died in 1956: "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
I believe that great and glorious day has come to pass.
amylee218's review against another edition
3.0
I won this book in a giveaway. I thought that this book offered a good look at the factors leading up to the election of Donald Trump. I really found the discussions of the erosion of fair and balanced journalism to be thought-provoking and scary.
mrsnagappala's review against another edition
5.0
I would genuinely call this an absolute must-read for anyone trying to understand why Donald Trump was elected president, and how we got to this point. Steve Almond’s collection of “bad stories” makes it clearer than I believed it could be. If you’ve any interest at all in our country and its future and its past, this one should be on your reading list.