revderek77's review against another edition
5.0
Required reading during these tumultuous political times, especially for theologian/clergy types. Writing from a secular perspective, Jared pulls back the curtain on the American mythos and the way Christianity has been exploited to form an American civil religion since the first days of the revolution.
He is also the only one so far that has offered an analysis of Trumpism that is both deep and convincing. He has his finger on the pulse of the fascism that is coursing its way through the country, and I'll be following him closely to see what he has to say in coming years.
He is also the only one so far that has offered an analysis of Trumpism that is both deep and convincing. He has his finger on the pulse of the fascism that is coursing its way through the country, and I'll be following him closely to see what he has to say in coming years.
sydapel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
The thesis of this book is that America has always been a capitalist, white supremacist country fueled by partisan media and the only way forward is to reckon with it, learn from it, and to stop putting our political figures on pedestals. And I absolutely agree. The author breaks down our sordid history by presidential figures and historical eras, covering some things I knew and some things that were unbeknownst to me (namely the turn of the Democratic party to centricity and neo-libreralism around the time of Clinton). If you're trying to understand our current hellscape, I recommend this wholeheartedly
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Torture, Islamophobia, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Abortion
raro6511's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Very well researched look into the history of America that is not taught in schools. Some of the things I learned were hard to stomach and extremely upsetting to say the least. Very interesting and eye opening.