One of "our most insightful social observers"* cracks the great political mystery of our time: how conservatism, once a marker of class privilege, became the creed of millions of ordinary Americans With his acclaimed wit and acuity, Thomas Frank turns his eye on what he calls the "thirty-year backlash"—the populist revolt against a supposedly liberal establishment. The high point of that backlash is the Republican Party's success in building the most unnatural of alliances: between blue-collar Midwesterners and Wall Street business interests, workers and bosses, populists and right-wingers. In asking "what 's the matter with Kansas?"—how a place famous for its radicalism became one of the most conservative states in the union—Frank, a native Kansan and onetime Republican, seeks to answer some broader American riddles: Why do so many of us vote against our economic interests? Where's the outrage at corporate manipulators? And whatever happened to middle-American progressivism? The questions are urgent as well as provocative. Frank answers them by examining pop conservatism—the bestsellers, the radio talk shows, the vicious political combat—and showing how our long culture wars have left us with an electorate far more concerned with their leaders' "values" and down-home qualities than with their stands on hard questions of policy. A brilliant analysis—and funny to boot—What's the Matter with Kansas? presents a critical assessment of who we are, while telling a remarkable story of how a group of frat boys, lawyers, and CEOs came to convince a nation that they spoke on behalf of the People. *Los Angeles Times

The must-read summary of Thomas Frank's book: “What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America”. This complete summary of "What's the Matter with Kansas?" by Thomas Frank, a renowned American political analyst and journalist, presents his use of Kansas as an example to show why many Americans vote against their economic and social interests. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand blue-collar patriotism in Southern states • Expand your knowledge of American politics To learn more, read "What's Wrong with Kansas?" and discover how conservatism has gained popularity in unlikely parts of America.

The must-read summary of Jack Cashill's book: “What's the Matter with California?: Cultural Rumbles from the Golden State and Why the Rest of Us Should Be Shaking”. This complete summary of "What's the Matter with California?" by Jack Cashill, a prominent American author, journalist and conspiracy theorist, presents his warning of an upcoming cultural cataclysm, beginning in California and soon spreading to the rest of the country. He warns of the dangers of mass immigration, multiculturalism and excessive liberalism. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand how California's cultural consistency can predict that of the rest of the country • Expand your knowledge of American politics and sociology To learn more, read "What's the Matter with California?" and discover how the cultural fault line in California might give way to a national cataclysm at any moment.

From one of the nation's preeminent experts on economic policy, a major reassessment of the foundations of modern economic thinking that explores the profound influence of an until-now unrecognized force—religion. "Friedman has given us an original and brilliant new perspective on the terrifying divisions of our own times. No book could be more important.” —George A. Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics Critics of contemporary economics complain that belief in free markets—among economists as well as many ordinary citizens—is a form of religion. And, it turns out, that in a deeper, more historically grounded sense there is something to that idea. Contrary to the conventional historical view of economics as an entirely secular product of the Enlightenment, Benjamin M. Friedman demonstrates that religion exerted a powerful influence from the outset. Friedman makes clear how the foundational transition in thinking about what we now call economics, beginning in the eighteenth century, was decisively shaped by the hotly contended lines of religious thought within the English-speaking Protestant world. Beliefs about God-given human character, about the after-life, and about the purpose of our existence, were all under scrutiny in the world in which Adam Smith and his contemporaries lived. Friedman explores how those debates go far in explaining the puzzling behavior of so many of our fellow citizens whose views about economic policies—and whose voting behavior—seems sharply at odds with what would be to their own economic benefit. Illuminating the origins of the relationship between religious thinking and economic thinking, together with its ongoing consequences, Friedman provides invaluable insights into our current economic policy debates and demonstrates ways to shape more functional policies for all citizens.