Interesting, But Repetitive and Loosely Themed

This is a collection of essays written between 2012 and 2014. Apart from an epilogue written in 2017 it does not address the Trump presidency. Apart from some very interesting pieces about St. Louis it doesn't have anything specific to say about "flyover country", except to the extent that any part of the country that isn't wealthy seems to be flyover country.

That said, there are thoughtful and eminently quotable pieces about the sorts of concerns that have made Americans increasingly uneasy and dissatisfied, and to that extent I guess it prefigures the "forgotten middle class" explanation for Trump. How and why people fell for Trump's song and dance, though, is not addressed.

What is addressed, at length and in convincing fashion, is how decent job opportunities are increasingly foreclosed to all except the wealthy and privileged. From how cities like New York and San Francisco have become just gated communities for elites, and how higher education has become a con and a closed door to the merited poor, Kendzior is articulate and persuasive. Her discussions of the "post-employment economy", where everyone is underpaid and insecure, is especially compelling and fairly rigorous. Sections on the "closing of American academia" are thought provoking, although the emphasis is on the exploitation of academics rather than of students, which is an interesting angle. There are a few pieces on foreign policy, but we seem to be on less firm ground with those.

The upshot, for me, was that I think the sales pitch about being a Trump critic and predicting the rise of Trump is a bit overblown for this collection, but the larger vitality and interest of the pieces, especially about jobs and opportunity, should be valued and appreciated on their own merits. Kendzior moves beyond shallow punditry and her opinions are worth serious thought. And she writes wonderfully.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)