A REVELATORY AND DARKLY COMIC ADVENTURE THROUGH A NATION ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN—FROM THE HALLS OF CONGRESS TO THE BASES OF BAGHDAD TO THE APOCALYPTIC CHURCHES OF THE HEARTLAND
Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi set out to describe the nature of George Bush’s America in the post-9/11 era and ended up vomiting demons in an evangelical church in Texas, riding the streets of Baghdad in an American convoy to nowhere, searching for phantom fighter jets in Congress, and falling into the rabbit hole of the 9/11 Truth Movement.
Matt discovered in his travels across the country that the resilient blue state/red state narrative of American politics had become irrelevant. A large and growing chunk of the American population was so turned off—or radicalized—by electoral chicanery, a spineless news media, and the increasingly blatant lies from our leaders (“they hate us for our freedom”) that they abandoned the political mainstream altogether. They joined what he calls The Great Derangement.
Taibbi tells the story of this new American madness by inserting himself into four defining American subcultures: The Military, where he finds himself mired in the grotesque black comedy of the American occupation of Iraq; The System, where he follows the money-slicked path of legislation in Congress; The Resistance, where he doubles as chief public antagonist and undercover member of the passionately bonkers 9/11 Truth Movement; and The Church, where he infiltrates a politically influential apocalyptic mega-ministry in Texas and enters the lives of its desperate congregants. Together these four interwoven adventures paint a portrait of a nation dangerously out of touch with reality and desperately searching for answers in all the wrong places.
Funny, smart, and a little bit heartbreaking, The Great Derangement is an audaciously reported, sobering, and illuminating portrait of America at the end of the Bush era.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
With his trademark mordant wit, journalist Taibbi explores the black comedy of the American polis, where a citizenry shunted out of the political process seeks solace in conspiratorial weirdness and Internet-fueled mysticism. Trained from birth to be excellent consumers, Americans have become experts in mixing and matching news items to fit [their] own self-created identities, according to the author, who embeds himself in these pockets of people as he travels to the Congress press gallery, Iraq, meetings of the 9/11 Truth Movement, and goes undercover at a Christian Retreat. He pillories born-again Christians and the 9/11 conspiracy theorists, concluding that despite their differences: Both groups were and are defined primarily by an unshakeable belief in the inhumanity of their enemies on the other side; the Christians seldom distinguished between Islamic terrorism and, say, Al Gore–style environmentalism, while the Truthers easily believed that reporters for the Washington Post, the president and the frontline operators of NORAD were equally capable of murdering masses of ordinary New York financial sector employees. Thoughtful Democrats, Republicans and independents will find common ground in this book that punctures pretense, hypocrisy and know-nothingness. (May 6)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
PRAISE FOR
THE GREAT DERANGEMENT
"Matt Taibbi is the best American journalism has to offer. As The Great Derangement shows, he has absolutely no fear in confronting the corruption that plagues our government and exploring rising desperation that plagues America. And somehow, he pulls it off while making us simultaneously weep in sorrow and laugh our asses off." –David Sirota, author of Hostile Takeover
“The Great Derangement is a scabrous, hilarious vivisection of our disintegrating nation. An unstinting reporter and sensational writer, Taibbi shines a light on the corruption, absurdities and idiot pieties of modern American politics. Beneath his cynical fury, though, are flashes of surprising compassion for the adrift, credulous souls who are taken in by it all. I loved this book."
–Michelle Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
“Where other mainstream news sources fail, Matt Taibbi madly embraces his role as an honest political observer/writer/citizen in a democracy. I would also like to take this opportunity to ask for Matt’s hand in marriage”.
–Janeane Garofalo
“With his trademark mordant wit, Taibbi explores the ‘black comedy’ of the American polis. . .thoughtful Democrats, Republicans, and independents will find common ground in this book that punctures pretense, hypocrisy, and know-nothingness.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Taibbi is a powerful writer, and his righteous fury with the sickening mechanism of congressional corruption seethes on every page.” –Kirkus Reviews
“It's a fascinating and hilarious study, fueled by Taibbi's own brand of paranoia, reflecting a cruel light on an America gone wild.”–Los Angeles Times
“A vicious, funny, heartbreaking tour of the American scene.” –The New York Observer
“Acidly funny… For readers who have themselves grown desperate, Taibbi’s renegade book is a bracing kind of salvation–the kind that will amuse and enrage at the same time.” –Time Out
“Vibrant, rich and irreverent. It's quotable, pointed, painful, funny and true. Thank God we have Matt Taibbi around.” –Daily Kos
THE GREAT DERANGEMENT
"Matt Taibbi is the best American journalism has to offer. As The Great Derangement shows, he has absolutely no fear in confronting the corruption that plagues our government and exploring rising desperation that plagues America. And somehow, he pulls it off while making us simultaneously weep in sorrow and laugh our asses off." –David Sirota, author of Hostile Takeover
“The Great Derangement is a scabrous, hilarious vivisection of our disintegrating nation. An unstinting reporter and sensational writer, Taibbi shines a light on the corruption, absurdities and idiot pieties of modern American politics. Beneath his cynical fury, though, are flashes of surprising compassion for the adrift, credulous souls who are taken in by it all. I loved this book."
–Michelle Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
“Where other mainstream news sources fail, Matt Taibbi madly embraces his role as an honest political observer/writer/citizen in a democracy. I would also like to take this opportunity to ask for Matt’s hand in marriage”.
–Janeane Garofalo
“With his trademark mordant wit, Taibbi explores the ‘black comedy’ of the American polis. . .thoughtful Democrats, Republicans, and independents will find common ground in this book that punctures pretense, hypocrisy, and know-nothingness.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Taibbi is a powerful writer, and his righteous fury with the sickening mechanism of congressional corruption seethes on every page.” –Kirkus Reviews
“It's a fascinating and hilarious study, fueled by Taibbi's own brand of paranoia, reflecting a cruel light on an America gone wild.”–Los Angeles Times
“A vicious, funny, heartbreaking tour of the American scene.” –The New York Observer
“Acidly funny… For readers who have themselves grown desperate, Taibbi’s renegade book is a bracing kind of salvation–the kind that will amuse and enrage at the same time.” –Time Out
“Vibrant, rich and irreverent. It's quotable, pointed, painful, funny and true. Thank God we have Matt Taibbi around.” –Daily Kos
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 88 people found the following review helpful
By R. Conner
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've lived in every corner of the continental United States and Hawaii, but about half of my 62 years have been spent in various cities large and small in Texas. Few writers have managed to capture the creepy folksiness, the numbing intellectual disconnect, and the vicious religiosity of Texas as well as Matt Taibbi. His acutely observed description of Hagee's San Antonio mega-cult is spot on. The author gleefully picks the chunks out of the mind vomit of homophobia, militarism and apocalyptic whackology such outfits specialize in, and clearly identifies how Hagee uses support for Israel (to be carefully distinguished from sympathy for Jewish people) to make powerful political connections. This is a marvelous LOL examination of the intersection of religious and political sleeze in an America that's DOA.
197 of 217 people found the following review helpful
By B. Centre
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book after reading the exerpt in Rolling Stone about the author's undercover immersion into the Hagee fundamentalist cult. I laughed myself sick and ordered it immediately.
Unfortunately, like most movie trailers, and exerpts published in periodicals, that chapter was the highlight of the book. I kept waiting for more of that sustained humor and bitting wit, but no other chapter came close. Thus, I was somewhat disappointed.
That said, Taibbi gives a good inside understanding of the inner workings of congress, the corruption that has become inherent in our system. His exposee on the 911 conspiracy theorist crazies, and cynical perspective of the Christian Zionist nut jobs and their pathetic flock is revealing and entertaining. Finally, he proffers how these desperate people and divergent groups of the far left and far right are actually a manifestation of American's disgust with, and powerlessness against, the deception and derangement that has become government.
I don't regret buying it, but if I had it to do all over again, I'd wait a few months and get it used at a deep discount.
Unfortunately, like most movie trailers, and exerpts published in periodicals, that chapter was the highlight of the book. I kept waiting for more of that sustained humor and bitting wit, but no other chapter came close. Thus, I was somewhat disappointed.
That said, Taibbi gives a good inside understanding of the inner workings of congress, the corruption that has become inherent in our system. His exposee on the 911 conspiracy theorist crazies, and cynical perspective of the Christian Zionist nut jobs and their pathetic flock is revealing and entertaining. Finally, he proffers how these desperate people and divergent groups of the far left and far right are actually a manifestation of American's disgust with, and powerlessness against, the deception and derangement that has become government.
I don't regret buying it, but if I had it to do all over again, I'd wait a few months and get it used at a deep discount.
142 of 162 people found the following review helpful
By Chris Martin
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Got this book Monday, May 5th. Finished it once ... going back again. Matt reveals the absurdity that has this country by the throat. As a former church pastor, the narrative on Matt's adventure with John Hagee's nut bunch was point-on. This book is laugh-out-loud funny but what it reveals is very sad. This book should be required reading in every freshman high school and college civics/polysci course. It's interesting and ironic that Matt Taibbi, Don Imus, Bill Maher, and a very few others may save us from ourselves yet. Thanks guys ... from our kids ... and theirs.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent, biting must-read novel
Especially now in light of what happened post the 2008 elections for Obama and the rise of the Tea Party.
Published 5 months ago by Ronnagesh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Both hilarious and frightening
OK, I admit it. I am an atheist. So I expected that the doings of the people of the religious right would be somewhat incomprehensible to me. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Anarchy Now
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fools to the left of me, jokers on the right
Matt Taibbi of the Rolling Stone tells the hilarious (and somewhat dodgy) tale of the minds of America's febrile minorities in a time of upheaval and uncertainty. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jean E. Pouliot
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting Critique though Flawed
I've read almost everything Matt Tabbi's published, he really puts himself into his work. I'm one of those right-wing fundamentalists that the right has completely abandoned and I... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Creation27
5.0 out of 5 stars
The land of the Thinkophancy
Award winning Rolling Stone Reporter, Matt Taibi, is not the only one who has worried about the nation's collective mental health. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Herbert L Calhoun
4.0 out of 5 stars
Derangement to the left, derangement to the right...Taibbi's...
I confess to being something of a fan of Matt Taibbbi's writing. In his blogs, his pieces for `Rolling Stone' Magazine (of which he is now editor) and his numerous TV appearances... Read more
Published 8 months ago by The Guardian
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you, Matt, for sharing your observations
Mr. Taibbi describes how congressional budgets insert pork for political favors for insiders and hide it from the general public. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Florinda K. Garrett
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books on current US politics out there
I rarely write reviews, but feel compelled to for this book. If you really want to learn a lot about the current national political insanity and broken/corrupt methods of congress... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars
In the Great Hunter Thompson Tradition
It's interesting: Most of the negative reviews here are eerily similar to the poison-pen critiques once leveled at Taibbi's Rolling Stone predecessor, the late Hunter S. Thompson. Read more
Published 19 months ago by DoctorJoeE
5.0 out of 5 stars
911 Truthers:Democrats, Evangelical Christans:Republicans
Matt Taibbi is a political writer for Rolling Stone. In this book he looks at the relationships I've put in the title of this review and makes a good case. Read more
Published 20 months ago by A Customer
