by Joan Didion
First published 2002
In the late '80s, acclaimed essayist Joan Didion began scrutinizing the political process that claimed to give voice to the nation's citizens. What she found instead was a well-oiled machine, designed by and for a small cabal of insiders who dictate the "narrative of public life." From the Reagan era to the disputed 2000 election, Didion traces the disturbing ways this entrenched political class has narrowed the electorate, with the media's willing complicity. Her incisive reportage lays bare the unraveling of American democracy.
Genres: political-science, politics, non-fiction, journalism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: political-critique, social-commentary
Setting: United States
Period: 1989-, 2000, 20th century
338 pages · Paperback · Vintage