Review This Year’s Holiday Booklist Recommendations on Bipartisanship and Bridge Building!
In Technopoly, a prescient analysis of the digital age, Neil Postman diagnoses the ailment of our current era. It is not, he argues, a lack of information but rather, an excess of information and apathy to sort through it that plagues our society. The risk, according to Postman, is no longer that we will ban books. Rather, it is that “there would be no reason to ban a book for there would be no one who wanted to read one.” In this spirit, Divided We Fall is proud to publish our fourth annual holiday booklist. If you’re looking for engaging, thought-provoking reads or great gifts for the bridge builders in your life, look no further. Like, comment, and share below to let us know what you think. If nothing else, hopefully this list makes you want to read a book!
- Political Tribalism in America: How Hyper-Partisanship Dumbs Down Democracy and How to Fix It, by Timothy Redmond, 2022. The democratic ideal demands that the citizenry think critically about matters of public import, yet many have fallen short of that standard because of political tribalism. In this work, Timothy Redmond provides a host of actionable strategies that are designed to reduce the influence of political tribalism in our lives. The first of its kind, this how-to guide is a must-read for partisans who want to become more critical political thinkers.
- I Never Thought of It That Way, by Monica Guzman, 2022. When the country could no longer see straight across the political divide, Mónica Guzmán set out to find what was blinding us. She discovered the most eye-opening tool we’re not using: our own curiosity. Drawing from cross-partisan conversations she’s had, organized, or witnessed, Mónica shows how you can put your natural sense of wonder to work for you immediately, finding the answers you need by talking with people and asking the questions you want, curiously.
- Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational, by Michael Shermer, 2022. Best-selling author Michael Shermer presents an overarching theory of conspiracy theories―who believes them and why, which ones are real, and what we should do about them. This engaging book will be an important read for anyone concerned about the future direction of American politics, as well as anyone who has watched friends or family fall into patterns of conspiratorial thinking.
- American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing our Nation, by Seth Radwell, 2021. In this thoroughly researched, engaging, and ultimately hopeful story of our nation’s divergent roots, Seth David Radwell clearly links the fascinating history of the two American Enlightenments―Radical and Moderate―to our raging political division. In an optimistic and rigorous work, Radwell demonstrates that it is only by embracing both Enlightenment principles that we can build a civilized, progressive, and tolerant society―where Americans can firmly ground their different views in rationality.
- Divided We Fall, by Alice Rivlin with Sheri and Alan Rivlin, 2022. Rivlin provides a detailed outline of the history of polarization and partisanship in U.S. politics while highlighting numerous hopeful efforts to bridge ideological divides in Washington, state capitols and city governments, and communities around the country. This book is a practical guide for Americans across the political spectrum who are agonizing over partisan warfare, incivility, and policy gridlock and looking for ways they can help to get our democratic policy process back on a constructive track before it is too late.
If you enjoyed our holiday booklist list, please see our 2021, 2020, and 2019 holiday booklists. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Joe Schuman is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Divided We Fall. He works to set the vision of the organization and to build the team to meet that mission. Joe works as a civilian for the Department of Defense promoting innovation and emerging technology. Joe is also an Officer in the Air National Guard and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his spare time he can be found reading non-fiction, playing piano, and running triathlons.
