This is an excellent progressive history of the United States, and contextualizes a lot of our modern moment for people who feel like America has gone crazy since about 2016. Problem is, I’m a history and politics nerd, so for me there wasn’t a lot to chew on here. 

That’s my problem though, not the author’s, and if a version of this book had found me a dozen or so years ago, it would be an all-time favourite. 

I’m sure there are plenty of things to criticize if you’re so inclined. Some reviewers wondered who this book is for, given the author’s clear political leanings – as if she’s preaching to the converted. To me though, it’s an obvious starting point for a young progressive eager to see the cycles of history, and how the Trump years are a weird echo of the Reagan and Nixon years, and other bits of historical congruity. A lot of the insights that Richardson provides here took me a long time to figure out from other sources. So sure, it’s surface-level and lacking nuance, but it connects a lot of dots that aren’t obvious to everyone.

Richardson writes in a clear, straightforward voice, and does not get bogged down in detail or a sea of names. It takes great skill to be this concise, and that is what makes this book so valuable – a keen high-schooler or undergrad would see the world much more clearly after reading this.