Book Presentation

Our economy and our democracy are increasingly becoming rigged against the interests of average working Americans in favor of the rich and elite. It’s no longer enough just to concentrate on getting good people elected and expect them to solve the nation’s problems. The reality is nothing positive happens in Washington unless good people outside Washington are organized and mobilized to make the right things happen after the election. It’s time for us to focus on taking action against the regressive forces which are seeking to move our nation backward.

“I have been involved in public life, off and on, for more than forty years. I’ve served under three presidents. When not in office, I’ve done my share of organizing and rabble-rousing, along with teaching, speaking, and writing about what I know and what I believe. I have never been as concerned as I am now about the future of our democracy, the corrupting effects of big money in our politics, the stridency and demagoguery of the regressive right, and the accumulation of wealth and power at the very top. We are perilously close to losing an economy and a democracy that are meant to work for everyone and to replacing them with an economy and a government that will exist mainly for a few wealthy and powerful people. This book is meant to help you focus on what needs to be done and how you can contribute, and to encourage you not to feel bound by what you think is politically possible this year or next. You need to understand why the stakes are so high and why your participation—now and in the future—is so important.”

Robert B. Reich is Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton and as an adviser to President-Elect Barack Obama. He is the author of twelve books including The Work of Nations and Aftershock.

This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book.  This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.