leasummer's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a fan of the author and have been for the last decade or so. I think that makes me slightly bias to how good this book is.
Klein is able to explain complex policy and politics in a way everyone can understand. The reasons we are polarized seems obvious but this explains the why and how and what it means. I found a lot of the reasons really interesting.
Highly recommend if you’re interested in politics.
Klein is able to explain complex policy and politics in a way everyone can understand. The reasons we are polarized seems obvious but this explains the why and how and what it means. I found a lot of the reasons really interesting.
Highly recommend if you’re interested in politics.
opal360's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I wouldn't normally pick up a book about US politics but the chatty style drew me in and I found it interesting in spite of myself. The writer does a great job explaining how and why things have changed in recent decades - all helpful context for reading the news stories of the present day. A more thoughtful and nuanced book than I was expecting.
[mixture of audiobook and print copy]
[mixture of audiobook and print copy]
sillypunk's review against another edition
5.0
Good read, terrifies and gives me a bit of hope in equal measure: https://blogendorff.com/2020/06/27/book-review-why-were-polarized/
d19jordan57a's review against another edition
5.0
To solve a problem (or, at least, not contribute to the problem), you must first understand the problem.
baronet_coins's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I can't recommend this book enough for anyone seeking to understand modern American politics. Klein's arguments are coherent, well researched, and incredibly insightful.
kimmeham's review against another edition
3.0
En bok som det var verdt å lese i innspurten av den amerikanske valgkampen, men dessverre synes jeg at Ezra Klein blir litt for overflatisk her. Det er lite nye tanker rundt polarisering, han bruker de forklaringsvariablene som har vært dominerende i statsvitenskapen det siste tiåret, og jeg skulle gjerne sett ham gå dypere i materien.
Klein er best når han trekker frem identitetspolitikk, men det skulle da også bare mangle som en av grunnleggerne av Vox og som en ikke ubetydelig stemme i debatten de siste årene. Han er også god når han tar for seg medienes rolle i polariseringen, men jeg skulle gjerne sett litt større velvilje til å se seg selv og bransjen sin i et mer kritisk lys.
Boken svarer for såvidt på problemstillingen i tittelen, men i kjølvannet av nok en presidentvalgkamp er det kanskje mer interessant å spørre hva man kan gjøre for å få et mindre polarisert USA?
Klein er best når han trekker frem identitetspolitikk, men det skulle da også bare mangle som en av grunnleggerne av Vox og som en ikke ubetydelig stemme i debatten de siste årene. Han er også god når han tar for seg medienes rolle i polariseringen, men jeg skulle gjerne sett litt større velvilje til å se seg selv og bransjen sin i et mer kritisk lys.
Boken svarer for såvidt på problemstillingen i tittelen, men i kjølvannet av nok en presidentvalgkamp er det kanskje mer interessant å spørre hva man kan gjøre for å få et mindre polarisert USA?
davidmd's review against another edition
5.0
I found it really 8ns8ghtful and illuminating, though not the most inspiring. Structural problems that need a big shakeup they aren't likely to receive.
navyachintaman's review against another edition
3.0
Surface-level analysis, but the book does give you a broad understanding of why the nation is polarized. First half was more insightful than the second half; it gets all rambly and weirdly example-specific towards the end (Klein just expects you to know everything that has happened in the last few years with great detail). I also just feel like picking a side to the extreme that Klein did was off-putting. It’s supposed to be an analytical and observational book, after all. The numerous readings Klein studied seem useful, though. I will be picking those up.
icallaci's review against another edition
2.0
The title of this book is WHY We're Polarized, but it probably should be HOW We're Polarized. The author presents a lot of statistics to show how we've slid into the mess we're in but doesn't really address the underlying reasons, other than to cite the usual suspects of "racism," "the internet," "biased media," etc. I was hoping for more insight or depth or at least a possible connection to something I hadn't thought of before, but nope. Also, I realize this is a book about polarization, but the flip side of that is why so many people are coming together to believe the exact same things, en masse. We seem to have less diversity of thought, dividing us into a binary representation of ideas. Polarization not only separates us but also acts to coalesce factions into cohesive groups (the opposite of polarization), so ignoring that misses a big piece of the picture.