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INVISIBLE DOCTRINE

THE SECRET LIFE OF NEOLIBERALISM

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

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WHAT THIS COMEDIAN SAID WILL SHOCK YOU

Maher calls out idiocy wherever he sees it, with a comedic delivery that veers between a stiletto and a sledgehammer.

The comedian argues that the arts of moderation and common sense must be reinvigorated.

Some people are born snarky, some become snarky, and some have snarkiness thrust upon them. Judging from this book, Maher—host of HBO’s Real Time program and author of The New New Rules and When You Ride Alone, You Ride With bin Laden—is all three. As a comedian, he has a great deal of leeway to make fun of people in politics, and he often delivers hilarious swipes with a deadpan face. The author describes himself as a traditional liberal, with a disdain for Republicans (especially the MAGA variety) and a belief in free speech and personal freedom. He claims that he has stayed much the same for more than 20 years, while the left, he argues, has marched toward intolerance. He sees an addiction to extremism on both sides of the aisle, which fosters the belief that anyone who disagrees with you must be an enemy to be destroyed. However, Maher has always displayed his own streaks of extremism, and his scorched-earth takedowns eventually become problematic. The author has something nasty to say about everyone, it seems, and the sarcastic tone starts after more than 300 pages. As has been the case throughout his career, Maher is best taken in small doses. The book is worth reading for the author’s often spot-on skewering of inept politicians and celebrities, but it might be advisable to occasionally dip into it rather than read the whole thing in one sitting. Some parts of the text are hilarious, but others are merely insulting. Maher is undeniably talented, but some restraint would have produced a better book.

Maher calls out idiocy wherever he sees it, with a comedic delivery that veers between a stiletto and a sledgehammer.

Pub Date: May 21, 2024

ISBN: 9781668051351

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024

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BEYOND THE GENDER BINARY

From the Pocket Change Collective series

A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.

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Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.

The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.

A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)

Pub Date: June 2, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020

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