First published 2021
George Will tackles the assault on expertise, rationality, and civility across American institutions from 2008 to 2020. The Pulitzer Prize winning conservative columnist, writing since 1974, brings his analytical eye to a period of remarkable national upheaval. Will examines Supreme Court decisions that explain why federal judicial appointments have become so divisive. He ranges from the Revolutionary War to contemporary figures like Frederick Douglass and JFK, while delivering sharp criticism of modern State of the Union speeches. The collection covers American socialism, anti-capitalist conservatism, drug policy, criminal justice, climate science, and the coronavirus pandemic. Will also explores the First Amendment, parenting, meritocracy in education, China's rise, fascism, authoritarianism, and cultural figures from Frank Sinatra to Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys. He even questions the ethics of enjoying football. This compilation offers readers the insights and wit of a leading intellectual voice during America's most unsettling recent years.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: analytical, insightful, thought-provoking
Tropes: analytical-perspective, intellectual-discourse
Setting: America, United States
Period: 2008-2020, Revolutionary War
528 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing