This was an unusual read for me. I am fascinated by American politics and particular how it has gotten to the point it is at now. This seemed like the perfect read to learn more about how the political parties have changed over time.

I think that Alan Abramowitz had a brilliant concept and, mostly, it was executed well. However, it was very statistics heavy and listening to it on audiobook meant that I feel I didn't retain any specific numbers. Despite this, I understood the trends in the statistics and this book provided me with a great overview of how race and political parties intersect in the US.

Overall I think this would have been better to read in a physical copy. If I ever need to write an essay on the topic, this would be a great source and I would recommend it for specific readers.

After finishing this book this morning, I had a long think about how I felt about Alan I. Abramowitz's interpretation of America and recent events that have happened there, and although some of the commentary is still very much relevant today, some is not. This makes me believe that this book was written a while ago and is not as up-to-date as it may seem. That said, this is a world that is changing rapidly, it would be an impossiblity to keep on top of everything - especially with Trump who changes his mind, and ideas on a daily basis but I would expect some recent events to take precedence over those that occurred longer ago.

This is a great read for people wanting to learn how America got to the point it is now at but if you wish to read about more recent events this is probably not the book for you.

I would like to thank Alan I. Abramowitz, Yale University Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wias given an advanced readers copy in exchange for honest review0 I did not finish as the book's arguments did not seem coherent in light of all that has been reported in recent times. May not be relevant by publication date