Welcome to Litsy!

This book came out in 2020, before the violence of January 6, and provides a clear-eyed and methodical look at the attempted autocracy of the first Trump administration. Gessen examines the normalizing of the unthinkable, the ways in which Trump strips words of meaning and drags the media along in his wake. Vital reading for anyone interested in understanding how we got here and what is likely to come next. I wish I'd read it sooner.

We were without power for five nights after the bomb cyclone hit western WA. Treated myself to a visit at my favorite local indie. I‘ve earned it.

This book feels like old news now, but still so important to read. The authors lay out the warnings of a democracy in crisis, and all the moves to power that authoritarians make: Trump met (and continues to meet) each one of them. They discuss how these events unfolded in other countries, America‘s political history, and why democracy is so fragile. Voting and institutions alone will not save us. Highly recommend.
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Unfortunately, have to pick this one back up again 😭

I am gutted.

A well written and insightful look at the strongman ‘leaders‘ throughout the world and modern history and the commonalities, themes and environments which allow them power. Not a huge amount of hope was given when reading it at our current point in history, but I think important nonetheless at least in understanding our situations.

I‘d like a follow-up, but this is a book everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) should read. It always felt wrong to me, no matter how much Trumpism scares me, to “other” all Republicans. I try to be a “when they go low, we go high” Democrat. But guys, we‘re so close to losing our democracy. Please be kind this election season, trust your election workers, and vote. And try to build bridges, not tear them down. We‘re all in this together. Read this book!

Read to understand how democracies fail, and the many threats to democracy in the USA. Key takeaways are: political norms hold democracies in place and as polarization increases, parties lose the ability to hold to political norms and democracies die; people need to form broad coalitions; and people make the decisions that kill or revived democracy.
4/5 compelling & informative. Aloy tried to eat this book. I think unions should be considered key

How does one rate a book like this? I read it at the suggestion of a friend.The authors political views are the polar opposite of mine,but this book got me thinking.After reading it,it‘s hard to decide what to believe. The author seems very knowledgeable and definitely made a point. I‘d like to read a book telling the story from the opposite point of view. It‘s definitely going to be a crazy time between now and the ‘24 election!

This book did not help me understand how to survive in an autocracy. I think it did a good job of mapping how, under Trump, we walked the line to becoming one, and perhaps now are in one, but I wanted to understand more about the dynamics of what living in an autocracy requires and if it‘s possible to really survive in one.
2/5 a good way to remember that we are terribly close to losing our democracy and what got us to this point.