Name: Untitled Nonfiction
ISBN: 9781400067213

Kurt Andersen

"Offers a new understanding of our post-truth world and explains the American instinct to believe in make-believe, from the Pilgrims to P.T. Barnum to Disneyland to zealots of every stripe ... to Donald Trump"--

Untitled Nonfiction

Colton Ray

This was definitely interesting. The author proffers the theory that the overwhelming number of conspiracies and magical thinking in America stems from the founding of the country and has gotten progressively out of hand over the years due to systemic failures a national culture that yearns to disregard reality. The freedom that we cherish so much also encompasses the freedom to possess whatever crackpot beliefs we choose. 

Andersen chronicles every main American delusion from before the founding of the country to 2016: UFOs, GMOs, Bigfoot, Illuminati, Satanic cabals, racial theory, reptilians, the Rapture, survivalism, angel visitations, demon possessions, thetans, creationism, libertarianism, alternative health, cults, crystals, white resentment, fake news (no snake handlers, though). Many of these fantasies had their roots in earlier times, but have seen an explosion in popularity thanks to the no-rules nature of the Internet. He makes a distinction between the harmless fantasies (video games, reality TV) and the ones that "pick your pocket and break your leg." Fantasy thinking can lead to behaviors not just irrational, but dangerous, especially when we're talking about people who hold power in the government.

I'm not entirely sure that his premise holds up (it's kind of reaching at points), but it was interesting to read a breezy summary of our national idiocies. This book is very snarky and opinionated, which may turn some people off, but if you're looking for a "greatest hits" anthology of the weird mainstream beliefs of this country throughout the decades, this is a good introduction.