This nonfiction resonated but in the most unfortunate way. Knowing this was published over five years ago makes it even more unsettling. Not enough people read it or learned from it. Americans have continued their descent into shameless fascism, unchecked and often amplified by social media. A central theme of the book is the flawed assumption that free speech combined with social media would naturally elevate the best ideas. But as the book lays out so clearly, that’s not how the internet works. Popularity online isn’t about truth, it’s about sparking an emotional reaction, any reaction. And this is the society we’ve built. The strategies used to push hateful ideologies didn’t start with the internet, but social media has supercharged them. It’s horrifying to see how quickly people fall into fascist thinking, abandoning empathy. The last chapter, Common Sense, feels especially eerie considering how Trump has co-opted the phrase, echoing Reagan. It’s hard to see anything sensible about what’s happening politically right now, although it is becoming too common. This book was great, sharp, well-researched, and packed with moments that had me pausing to send quotes to friends and family as we all spiral further into collective political despair.