Is America Broken? 11 Secrets For Getting Back on Our Feet
Recommended by: Ted Wetzel
Posted in: Bridging Divides
Purchase →If you want a no-nonsense, non-partisan, short presentation of the roots of our divide, followed then by a pragmatic approach to restoring “united we stand,” and ending with real action items, then this is your book. This book is essentially about hope for all of We The People, with a completely non-partisan approach. The book is quite balanced and supported by 18 diverse collaborators, but with one primary author. The book shows (a) that we are not doomed, (b) that our constitution has a history of resilience and adaptation, (c) that it does not take rocket science to understand our “divide,” and (d) that there are real actions that we can do to restore a government of, by and for the people.
Is America Broken? is a book unlike any other I have read, and I mean that in the best way. It is a remarkably readable book of uncommon wisdom written in a common voice, filled with clever graphics and pithy quotes that will make you tilt your head and smile.
It sets out to accomplish a monumental task: to describe how the American political scene became dysfunctional, and then advocate for a We the People approach to reinvent participatory democracy, which it calls Civics 2.0. The book does this via three sections containing short chapters, starting with the Problem Space: “Secret #1 Don’t Freak Out (we’ve been divided before),” then the Solution Space: “Secret #5: The Paradox of ‘Going-it-Alone,’” and then an Invitation to get involved: “Secret #10 Yes, You! There are EZ Ways to Get Started.”
This book is heavily researched—it cites, for example, Jonathan Haidt, Adam Smith, The Chisel, and mentions Better Angels—but is not academic. In fact, it exudes its own hope-filled, inspirational personality. Like David fighting Goliath, Is America Broken? is a spirited little book whose success I’m rooting for.