I enjoyed the book and I agree with most of the arguments it brought up. I like that the author uses many examples and case studies to further his claims. Before reading the book I did expect it to be more democracy focused but in fact it is mostly big-D Democrat-focused, which is not inherently a bad thing, and sadly such a framework does work in 2026 because the GOP has become an antidemocratic force and it now makes more sense than before to use big-D and small-d democratic interchangeably.

My main caveat or critique of the book: I would have liked more examples of how building relationships and being authentic with your constituents can be a winning strategy nationally, as most of the examples used are at the local level. Throughout the book I kept thinking that perhaps what AOC achieved in Bronx/Queens, what Mamdani achieved in NYC and what many other candidates who focused on relationships and authenticity achieved at the local level would be very difficult to translate at the national level. Plus, it is nearly impossible (so far) for a largely grassroots and small-donor-supported campaign to win big on the national stage (see Bernie's bid for POTUS), as it is for presidential candidates to meet for coffee with their millions of constituents or know them on a first-name basis. The book does respond to this issue, mainly by focusing on those topics that can arise by having sincere conversations (e.g. cost of living, housing issues, grocery prices) and that to some extent are present regardless of location. Nonetheless, I still wonder if the best strategy to win elections and restore democracy at the local level is really that similar at the state or national level than it is locally. I would even argue that candidates like Joe Biden or Kamala Harris were aware (and probably would agree) with many the arguments in this book but nonetheless chose the strategies the book itself criticizes because it may not be realistic to translate local relationship strategies to the national stage.