We have ascended far above the artisanal screen-shotting of invoices and stand in the presence of a genuine master of ideological niche marketing.

The most comprehensive and reasonable story of this shift that has yet been attempted. Erudite and up to date, Mounk integrates ideas from philosophy, political theory, political science and psychology, along with the views of a range of commentators.

Mounk is better at explaining how we came to be in the mess we’re in. A liberal constitutionalist, he’s a man of the 'universalist left,' which is the way that the left in the West used to be until the fall of the Berlin Wall.

It’s a straightforward story. But it only hangs together if you don’t press too hard.

Mounk’s intellectual methodology: accusation slides effortlessly into fact; events are yoked together on the atmospherics, described in shorthand, as if the phrases 'safe space' and 'white privilege' are all you need to know to understand what went on.

Hardcore proponents and detractors alike may not be won over, but there is a vast middle that can be reached through open debate and plain common sense. This book is a solid launching point for further constructive debate. A thoughtful deconstruction of identity politics well worth discussing..

Poorly argued.