Welcome to Litsy!

Thanks to kiddo‘s extra (waste of time) ballet rehearsal, I finished this. I agree with other reviews that there‘s a lot of name-dropping that doesn‘t tell me much. At least, not much good. I‘m not impressed that AA used to hang with Laura Ingraham, for instance. This wasn‘t what I expected or wanted, but there are some useful observations scattered around, and it‘s fairly short. Maybe Autocracy, Inc. is better?

From a figure of the Spanish far-right nationalist movement, modeled on Trump 1.0. Our world in a nutshell. 🙁

I wanted to like this book and I wanted this book to be helpful and/or interesting but it was mostly just name dropping and personal experiences which is not what I wanted. I wanted to understand why people like authoritarianism, but the author kept complaining how her former friends wouldn‘t speak to her so she doesn‘t understand why they like authoritarianism.
0/5 stars, didn‘t learn much of anything and only finished in hopes that I would

👆👆👆This hit me right in the stomach. “Cannot tolerate complexity.”

She notes that it doesn‘t correlate with intelligence. And, others take advantage of this intolerance.

This book is depressing and fascinating.

#bookspinbingo
July 2022

She provides excellent analysis trying to answer the question why people are turning to authoritarian leaders all over the globe.
I realize her previous books, jobs, and life experience play an important part in her analysis, however the constant name-dropping and personal stories took away from the tone of the book for me.
Felt like a pompous uncle at a family dinner rather than the very well-researched book it is.

Some pre-work reading. #marvellousmay #readathon

History may not literally repeat itself, but the ideological backdrop that effect modern events does. This book looks at the rise of authoritarianism in the recent past and mirrors those traits with modern events. We are flirting with authoritarianism not just here in the United States but around the world. A eye opening essay on what those traits are, where they come from, and how we can recognize them today.

Part 2 of 2

Part 1 of 2

Trump has no knowledge of the American story and so cannot have faith in it. He has no understanding of or sympathy for the language of the founders, so he can not be inspired by it.

This book explains well the political times we are in, not only in America, but it covers well Poland, Hungary, Briton and a host of other countries. The rise of populism, nostalgia for romanticized past histories, the vilification if perceived enemies. The societal divisions splitting friends and families. Rise of social media and our struggle to filter information and rubrics which pull us down rabbit holes to destructive thinking. Insightful!

A quick but scary read. The author has a unique perspective—she is from Washington, but lives in Poland and has watched the far right take hold, quickly, and easily.
This brings to mind the recent Netflix film ‘The Hater‘ (Polish: Sala samobójców. Hejter)…watch it.
This book also brought other titles to my mind:

•On Tyranny: Lessons from the Twentieth Century,
•Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America

Authoritarianism isn‘t political, and it isn‘t the same thing as conservatism. It appeals to people who cannot tolerate complexity: there is nothing intrinsically left/ right wing about this at all. It is anti-pluralist. It is suspicious of people with different ideas. It is allergic to fierce debates. Whether those who have it ultimately derive their politics from Marxism or nationalism is irrelevant. It is a frame of mind, not a set of ideas.

Recent political history of Poland, Great Britain, and other EU countries. Applebaum discusses the role of certain individuals, journalism, and populist tendencies. She offers interesting hypotheses about why authoritarian leaders and policies are gaining ground. Some U.S. discussion, but for me it balanced all the stuff I‘ve read about U.S. politics lately.

Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2021 #borrownotbuy

Just under 200 pages, this felt 3xs as long, which is strange because I've read another of her books in record time. Still, I enjoyed that she looks at #democracy and the appeal of #authoritarianism in various western societies during past and present times. Even with such differences in time and space, she makes some interesting and overlapping connections (even though I found her writing roundabout at times) #nonfiction #politics #history #essay

"Is friendship possible..." #nonfiction #easterneuropean #poland #history

#anywayyoureadathon @kimmypete1 @Eggbeater @MidnightBookGirl

Didn't realize we had one of Anne Applebaum's books! It's called Twilight of Democracy and was released last year, I've read Red Famine at my professor's recommendation and enjoyed her writing. Let's see what we have here #nonfiction #easterneuropean #history #anywayyoureadathon @kimmypete1 @Eggbeater @MidnightBookGirl

30-31 Dec 2020 (audiobook)
I listened to this whilst doing a Christmas-New Year cleanup, so was not really paying enough attention. Her arguments were compelling and her experience as an American living in right-wing Poland and the UK during the Brexit vote gave her a unique worldview. The fact that she seems to be a conservative journalist discussing the increasing extremism of both sides of politics is also interesting. It warrants a re-listen.

Thank you to @rsteve388 and @Clwojick for hosting #nfn2020. I‘ve found out I love slim volumes on diverse subjects & should dip into unknown territory more often. Ive also discovered some great new to me podcast & have found space every day to listen to at least 1 episode - many it continue! And of course my TBR has exploded rather than decreased!
And there‘s more inspiration here - https://fivebooks.com/best-books/nonfiction-2020-sophie-roell/

Everyone needs to read this little book. Applebaum is a Pulitzer winning historian of Soviet culture. She brings a unique perspective as a witness of democracy‘s death throes as the wife of a former Polish diplomat. History gives us context and hope, because nothing is guaranteed or static in life. Through our actions, we are the authors of our present and future. 🕯 #bethelightyouwanttosee

This Halloween, I‘m sitting down with some chocolate and one of the scariest books I own.

I hope, whether you celebrate it or not, that you are safe and healthy this evening. Happy Halloween! ❤️🎃❤️

So excited for these books to arrive tomorrow! #toknowthefuturereadhistory

Twilight of course can be a sign of the coming day or a sign of the ending day. Ms. Appelbaum makes a good case for either time of twilight. The twilight as ending of democracy is frightening, as she explains it