I've summarized dozens of books in my literary career; it's become rather second nature. Rick Perlstein bookcareerdozen Change image and share on social
Black Fergusonians have shown that they will vote when they have something to vote for and know that their vote will count. Seventy-six percent of them turned out in November 2012, when Missouri was a key swing state for Barack Obama's reelection. Rick Perlstein barackblackcount share on social
I don't read many popular histories like the ones I write. The building blocks for my research are scholarly monographs, and the inspiration for my storytelling style are folks like Chekhov. Rick Perlstein blockbuildchekhov Change image and share on social
In the rest of the industrialized world, your boss can't fire you unless he or she can give a good reason. In America, with certain exceptions, your boss can fire you for any reason at all or for no reason at all. Rick Perlstein americabosexception share on social
Whatever you think about his intelligence, what's unquestionable is that Reagan had extraordinary emotional intelligence. He could sense the temperature of a room, and tell them a story and make them feel good. And that's more fun, right? It's more fun to feel good than feel bad. That's part of our human state. Rick Perlstein bademotionalextraordinary share on social
What does it mean to truly believe in America? To wave a flag? Or to struggle toward a more searching alternative to the shallowness of the flag-wavers - to criticize, to interrogate, to analyze, to dissent? Rick Perlstein alternativeamericaanalyze share on social
Economic issues are a subset of social justice. Social justice is unimaginable without economic justice. Isn't that obvious? Rick Perlstein economicissuejustice Change image and share on social
In the suburban Midwestern Reform Jewish world I was raised in, in the nineteen-seventies and eighties, grown men built plastic scale models of Israeli tanks and F-15 jets and displayed them throughout the house, dangling the warplanes from bedroom ceilings with fishing line. Rick Perlstein bedroombuildceiling share on social
Computers have cut-and-paste functions. So does right-wing historical memory. Rick Perlstein computercutfunction Change image and share on social
The only times during my religious instruction I remember hearing God's name invoked with any sincere conviction at all was in the oft-repeated and breathtakingly chauvinistic claim that Israel's 'miraculous' military victories over much-stronger enemies proved that He was ever on Zion's side. Rick Perlstein breathtakinglychauvinisticclaim share on social