A vigorous analysis of a pernicious ideology.
An investigation of the perils of neoliberalism.
British journalist and environmental activist Monbiot and filmmaker Hutchison mount a damning, persuasive critique of neoliberalism, an ideology that exalts capitalism and greed. A term coined in 1938 based on the writings of economists Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises, and enthusiastically popularized by Milton Friedman, neoliberalism, the authors assert, has caused or contributed to economic inequality; “diseases of despair” such as suicides and overdoses; the erosion of the tax base, resulting in a lack of public funding for health, education, and infrastructure; and the advent of demagogues, such as Viktor Orbán, Narendra Modi, Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and Jair Bolsonaro. These “deeply flawed human beings with oversized egos and pathological insecurities” have been enabled by neoliberal ideologues who promote the mantra that competition, deregulation, and privatization will lead to wealth that will enrich everyone. However, the authors warn, freedom from regulation benefits only the very wealthy, leading to the exploitation and endangerment of workers, environmental damage, and the kinds of “exotic financial instruments” that caused the financial crisis of 2008. “As a general rule,” write the authors, “privatization is legalized theft from the public realm.” Instead of taking responsibility for the endemic problems they cause, neoliberals blame ordinary people for crises. They promote the idea that personal changes can be solutions, urging citizens to recycle while their enterprises loot natural resources. Neoliberalism has coopted both political parties, established influential think tanks, and found supporters in the press. The authors’ argument against neoliberalism includes proposals for change: Campaign finance reform may draw new political actors; local efforts can serve as models for “participatory, deliberative democracy.” “Once roughly 25 percent of the population is committed to change,” they contend, the rest of society will quickly join them.
A vigorous analysis of a pernicious ideology.Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9780593735152
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.
Words that made a nation.
Isaacson is known for expansive biographies of great thinkers (and Elon Musk), but here he pens a succinct, stimulating commentary on the Founding Fathers’ ode to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His close reading of the Declaration of Independence’s second sentence, published to mark the 250th anniversary of the document’s adoption, doesn’t downplay its “moral contradiction.” Thomas Jefferson enslaved hundreds of people yet called slavery “a cruel war against human nature” in his first draft of the Declaration. All but 15 of the document’s 56 signers owned enslaved people. While the sentence in question asserted “all men are created equal” and possess “unalienable rights,” the Founders “consciously and intentionally” excluded women, Native Americans, and enslaved people. And yet the sentence is powerful, Isaacson writes, because it names a young nation’s “aspirations.” He mounts a solid defense of what ought to be shared goals, among them economic fairness, “moral compassion,” and a willingness to compromise. “Democracy depends on this,” he writes. Isaacson is excellent when explaining how Enlightenment intellectuals abroad influenced the founders. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Declaration’s “five-person drafting committee,” stayed in David Hume’s home for a month in the early 1770s, “discussing ideas of natural rights” with the Scottish philosopher. Also strong is Isaacson’s discussion of the “edits and tweaks” made to Jefferson’s draft. As recommended by Franklin and others, the changes were substantial, leaving Jefferson “distraught.” Franklin, who emerges as the book’s hero, helped establish municipal services, founded a library, and encouraged religious diversity—the kind of civic-mindedness that we could use more of today, Isaacson reminds us.
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781982181314
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.
Portraits in a post-pandemic world.
After the Covid-19 lockdowns left New York City’s streets empty, many claimed that the city was “gone forever.” It was those words that inspired Stanton, whose previous collections include Humans of New York (2013), Humans of New York: Stories (2015), and Humans (2020), to return to the well once more for a new love letter to the city’s humanity and diversity. Beautifully laid out in hardcover with crisp, bright images, each portrait of a New Yorker is accompanied by sparse but potent quotes from Stanton’s interviews with his subjects. Early in the book, the author sequences three portraits—a couple laughing, then looking serious, then the woman with tears in her eyes—as they recount the arc of their relationship, transforming each emotional beat of their story into an affecting visual narrative. In another, an unhoused man sits on the street, his husky eating out of his hand. The caption: “I’m a late bloomer.” Though the pandemic isn’t mentioned often, Stanton focuses much of the book on optimistic stories of the post-pandemic era. Among the most notable profiles is Myles Smutney, founder of the Free Store Project, whose story of reclaiming boarded‑up buildings during the lockdowns speaks to the city’s resilience. In reusing the same formula from his previous books, the author confirms his thesis: New York isn’t going anywhere. As he writes in his lyrical prologue, “Just as one might dive among coral reefs to marvel at nature, one can come to New York City to marvel at humanity.” The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope.
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781250277589
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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