An illuminating look at the drivers of illiberal nativism—and of support for its chief modern exponent.
A sociological investigation of Donald Trump’s true believers, who are somewhat different from the usual shorthand descriptions.
“Like the great majority of Americans, I am not a Trump supporter, avid or otherwise,” writes University of Nebraska political scientist Hibbing. “However, unlike the great majority of Americans, I am an empirical social scientist, and this means my job is…to collect and interpret evidence on the nature of the social world.” Where the standard narrative is to depict Trump voters as fearful, hateful, and thick-headed, Hibbing finds such descriptors less useful and less accurate than to describe the base as being “securitarian” versus “unitarian.” Those who have remained in Trump’s camp throughout his term hold a strong commitment to the idea that insiders (read: white American native-born citizens) are to be privileged over and protected from outsiders (everyone else). In this in-group devotion, Hibbing finds Trump believers to be “eerily similar” to supporters of Putin, Orban, Bolsonaro, Farage, Duterte, and other world leaders who have been described as nationalists, authoritarians, and fascists. Trump’s ideology, writes the author, is fundamentally not us vs. them but “us vs. not-us.” The border wall, the immigration crackdown, the denial of DREAM Act supporters, and other Trump hallmarks are manifestations of this securitarian, insider-against-outsider stance. In a narrative that is heavy on social science and statistics, Hibbing chases down the demographics of those true believers: They are white, foremost, and secondarily whites without a college degree. (This same core demographic voted for George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, Hibbing observes.) Securitarians are committed to walling off “the other” but do not attribute this to racism or xenophobia and are puzzled when others do. Neither do they hate democracy, adds Hibbing, though “a strong majority of Trump venerators would sacrifice democratic values in a heartbeat if doing so led to greater security.”
An illuminating look at the drivers of illiberal nativism—and of support for its chief modern exponent.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-19-009648-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A moving meditation on mortality by a gifted writer whose dual perspectives of physician and patient provide a singular...
A neurosurgeon with a passion for literature tragically finds his perfect subject after his diagnosis of terminal lung cancer.
Writing isn’t brain surgery, but it’s rare when someone adept at the latter is also so accomplished at the former. Searching for meaning and purpose in his life, Kalanithi pursued a doctorate in literature and had felt certain that he wouldn’t enter the field of medicine, in which his father and other members of his family excelled. “But I couldn’t let go of the question,” he writes, after realizing that his goals “didn’t quite fit in an English department.” “Where did biology, morality, literature and philosophy intersect?” So he decided to set aside his doctoral dissertation and belatedly prepare for medical school, which “would allow me a chance to find answers that are not in books, to find a different sort of sublime, to forge relationships with the suffering, and to keep following the question of what makes human life meaningful, even in the face of death and decay.” The author’s empathy undoubtedly made him an exceptional doctor, and the precision of his prose—as well as the moral purpose underscoring it—suggests that he could have written a good book on any subject he chose. Part of what makes this book so essential is the fact that it was written under a death sentence following the diagnosis that upended his life, just as he was preparing to end his residency and attract offers at the top of his profession. Kalanithi learned he might have 10 years to live or perhaps five. Should he return to neurosurgery (he could and did), or should he write (he also did)? Should he and his wife have a baby? They did, eight months before he died, which was less than two years after the original diagnosis. “The fact of death is unsettling,” he understates. “Yet there is no other way to live.”
A moving meditation on mortality by a gifted writer whose dual perspectives of physician and patient provide a singular clarity.Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8129-8840-6
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
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