by Chris Murphy
First published 2026
Senator Chris Murphy argues that America faces a crisis deeper than politics. Over fifty years, the pursuit of profit has eroded virtue and character while convincing citizens that happiness comes from consumption rather than civic engagement. New technologies threaten human capabilities like friendship and thinking. A winner-takes-all system has given the wealthy control over politics and corrupted government. Americans have lost daily purpose and connection, becoming anxious and angry. This emptiness enabled Donald Trump's rise to power. Murphy identifies six destructive cults that have captured American life: profit that punishes workers, globalism that weakens communities, technology that turns people against each other, consumption that undermines citizenship, credentialism that devalues those without degrees, and corruption that threatens democracy. Rather than accepting despair, Murphy proposes a new politics of the common good rooted in American history yet challenging current systems. He shows that most Americans, including Trump voters, support policies that confront these cults by limiting corporate power, controlling predatory technology, enhancing personal connection, empowering workers, and removing big money from politics.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: call-to-action, social-commentary
Setting: America
Period: 21st Century
304 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux