A very interesting read that boils the toxic goo of this moment in history's outrage and grievance into an easy-to-swallow dose. The author's a reputable source of wisdom for leftists for over fifty years. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Judis">See his Wikipedia page</a>. His take on the issue of seething rage and outrage at being derided, ignored, and exploited among huge swaths of the world's people is well worth your effort to read attentively; it is arguably the reason we are where we are on many fronts.

No one will ever convince me that 45 thought up the campaign that returned him to the White House. There are very, very rich and powerful and canny people who want him where he is. Those are the people who redesigned the way his campaign looked. The slide from populism into fascism, as Judis defines that term, has accelerated. The 2024 man is clearly modeled on Orban and Putin, Cult-of-Personality rulers who have created cadres of supporters who do the leader's bidding. This is something that has developed since this book was written. Judis defines fascism, then says unequivocally in this book that 45 is not one. That is simply not...or no longer is...true.

The truth is, though, understanding the way the people who voted for the redesigned 45 chose this path is something we all <b>need</b> to make the effort to do. The world is not going to end soon. *My* world will; most of my friends' and descendants and countrymen's worlds will too; so I'm quite clearly motivated to be focused on the topic. How we can make the world better for the largest number of people now alive is another strong motivator to get into this topic. I very strongly disapprove of the mental illness of hoarding and greed that constitutes our current economic system. I know this is a common opinion. The canny operators who redesigned the campaign that landed 45 back in power knew there needed to be a hook they could hang a future movement on.

Populism will not survive contact with the stated goals of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025">this group's plan for power</a>. Fascism will.

Learn how we got here, apply these rules to the world to come, and resist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Columbia Global Reports for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

I'm giving this book high marks because it is well-researched and well-written. That being said, I'm not sure how much of it I understood. And that's on me, not Judis. I don't really have a mind that understands or grasps the concepts Judis was unpacking but I did my best and what I could understand I appreciated. And what I couldn't understand I still appreciated because I recognized it was, as I said, well-researched and well-written. I did, however, understand his explanation of what populist movements are - the pros and cons of the ones that have made gains politically and specifically how populist movements led to the election of Trump in America and other political figures worldwide. Maybe some of the other info he shared penetrated and at some point my brain will access it when called upon.

One of Judis's many shorter books of late, this is another recommended read. I don't necessarily agree with everything he writes, but it's a thought-provoking book. Recommended.

A relevant read, The Populist Explosion is a good place to start in understanding the rise of populism in the U.S. and (mainly Western) Europe.

In clear though not terribly engaging prose, author John Judis presents a short history of populism from its 19th-century American roots through its rise in left- and right-wing forms across Europe and the U.S. in the last few decades. Unlike most discussions of populism, Judis differentiates between left-wing (the people vs. the elite) and right-wing populism (the people vs. the elite and the minority scapegoat).

With a wide scope, the book offers a good overview of recent Western European and American political history, including the third-party candidates of U.S. elections in the 1980s and 1990s, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump of the 2016 election, and the rise of the European Union. Judis touches on the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece, Spain and more.

Well researched. Interesting subject and written in a way that's easy to understand. It's a fascinating book.