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Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America
A prominent senator assesses the destructive ideas that have seized the American spirit—and shows how the hidden alignments in our politics can free us from their hold. This program is read by the author.
Today, the United States is in a crisis—and it’s not just a political over fifty years, the pursuit of profit has undermined virtue and character, while too many of us have become convinced that happiness results from acting as good consumers, rather than as good citizens. New technologies threaten essential human capabilities, like friendship, thinking, and creation. And a winner-takes-all mentality has given the rich and well-connected nearly uncontested control of our politics and has corrupted our government. The Americans have lost the sense of daily purpose and connection that are vital to happiness, becoming anxious, angry, and adrift. In this vacuum, Donald Trump, feeding off the emptiness and resentment, has come to power.
In recent years, Senator Chris Murphy has stepped forward to challenge the Trump administration’s assaults on our democracy. But he also sees that these assaults are a symptom of a deeper the abandonment of the common good as our country’s organizing principle. In his unflinching new book, he draws on history and political philosophy to expose how six different cults have seized hold of American life and paved the way to our current a cult of profit that punishes workers, a cult of globalism that weakens communities, a cult of technology that turns us against one another and poisons our young, a cult of consumption that undermines citizenship, a cult of credentialism that devalues those without degrees, and a cult of corruption that threatens democracy.
Refusing despair, Murphy offers a new politics of the common good that is both deeply rooted in our past and a radical challenge to the status quo. It is also capable of drawing support across the political as Murphy shows, a majority of Americans—including many Trump voters—favor policies that confront these destructive cults by curbing corporate power, controlling predatory technology, enhancing face-to-face connection, granting workers greater control of their lives, and removing big money from our politics. The common good, Murphy shows, is no object of nostalgia; it is a vital principle ready to be claimed today.
A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Today, the United States is in a crisis—and it’s not just a political over fifty years, the pursuit of profit has undermined virtue and character, while too many of us have become convinced that happiness results from acting as good consumers, rather than as good citizens. New technologies threaten essential human capabilities, like friendship, thinking, and creation. And a winner-takes-all mentality has given the rich and well-connected nearly uncontested control of our politics and has corrupted our government. The Americans have lost the sense of daily purpose and connection that are vital to happiness, becoming anxious, angry, and adrift. In this vacuum, Donald Trump, feeding off the emptiness and resentment, has come to power.
In recent years, Senator Chris Murphy has stepped forward to challenge the Trump administration’s assaults on our democracy. But he also sees that these assaults are a symptom of a deeper the abandonment of the common good as our country’s organizing principle. In his unflinching new book, he draws on history and political philosophy to expose how six different cults have seized hold of American life and paved the way to our current a cult of profit that punishes workers, a cult of globalism that weakens communities, a cult of technology that turns us against one another and poisons our young, a cult of consumption that undermines citizenship, a cult of credentialism that devalues those without degrees, and a cult of corruption that threatens democracy.
Refusing despair, Murphy offers a new politics of the common good that is both deeply rooted in our past and a radical challenge to the status quo. It is also capable of drawing support across the political as Murphy shows, a majority of Americans—including many Trump voters—favor policies that confront these destructive cults by curbing corporate power, controlling predatory technology, enhancing face-to-face connection, granting workers greater control of their lives, and removing big money from our politics. The common good, Murphy shows, is no object of nostalgia; it is a vital principle ready to be claimed today.
A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 9, 2026
I read this via audio with the author's narration. He does a good job with the narration and I found it easy to listen to as I gardened or went about my life. I didn't agree with everything he said, but I found myself nodding my head to much of what he said. I couple of his "cults" resonated with me: Cult of Profit, Tech and Corruption.
As today, Apple announced parental controls of phones for kids to limit screen time, access to inappropriate content and limits on social media. After announcing, Apple's stock plummeted. It seemed to me to be a prime example of these cults. A company takes steps to protect kids and investors reject that benefit - again solely focused on profit. I agree with Chris that our children need protection from tech and it's unlimited reach into their lives.
The cult that both terrifies me and confounds me is the cult of corruption as exemplified by Trump. I am afraid in a world that refuses to see obvious wrongdoing and is willing to allow, condone, and even justify these deeds. This is particularly troubling.
Chris offers some advice in this book, but I felt this could have been stronger. I read and acknowledge these cults - yet I am still wondering how best to combat them...
As today, Apple announced parental controls of phones for kids to limit screen time, access to inappropriate content and limits on social media. After announcing, Apple's stock plummeted. It seemed to me to be a prime example of these cults. A company takes steps to protect kids and investors reject that benefit - again solely focused on profit. I agree with Chris that our children need protection from tech and it's unlimited reach into their lives.
The cult that both terrifies me and confounds me is the cult of corruption as exemplified by Trump. I am afraid in a world that refuses to see obvious wrongdoing and is willing to allow, condone, and even justify these deeds. This is particularly troubling.
Chris offers some advice in this book, but I felt this could have been stronger. I read and acknowledge these cults - yet I am still wondering how best to combat them...
June 3, 2026
Yes, Senator! This is great, we need to rebuild our shared common interest and "small r" republican values as a nation. All about strangers and vying for a common interest, "not through policy alone but through people turning toward one another, one small act at a time". The "six cults" are accurate and I could not agree more.
While I think this gets to most of the root causes of a lot of our societal problems, I have two disagreements/pushbacks:
1. "Church" is not meant to be just a place of social gathering, it is a place of worship to God, where social interaction is an added outcome.
2. Building community, in my opinion, should include college. So instead of limiting what a college degree is for, the barriers for a tradition, community(and educational)-centric college experience should be made more accessible.
While I think this gets to most of the root causes of a lot of our societal problems, I have two disagreements/pushbacks:
1. "Church" is not meant to be just a place of social gathering, it is a place of worship to God, where social interaction is an added outcome.
2. Building community, in my opinion, should include college. So instead of limiting what a college degree is for, the barriers for a tradition, community(and educational)-centric college experience should be made more accessible.
June 15, 2026
America once defined the Common Good in its Declaration of Independence 250 years ago as individuals, social groups and businesses helping each other for the benefit of all. We lost that spirit of community and cooperation and became a fractured society. How? More importantly how can we regain it and fix the forces pulling us apart? Chris Murphy explains why and explores the path to regaining this founding spirit.
June 2, 2026
All Americans who are ready to move beyond polarization and find a better way forward should read this book. I felt like Murphy was reading my mind and I would predict many readers would feel the same. At once incisive in its critique as well as hopeful in its outlooks it’s a true blueprint for a way forward if he can cut through the noise…
May 28, 2026
this is pretty good for one of these books, which always seem to feature a cavalcade of what we in the business call Real People. starting out with PE corrupting youth sports was a nice touch.
i found the "cult" framing pretty weird, but the assessment of the country's many ailments is generally spot on. i like many of the solutions, too, though most of them don't quite match the severity of the problems.
i found the "cult" framing pretty weird, but the assessment of the country's many ailments is generally spot on. i like many of the solutions, too, though most of them don't quite match the severity of the problems.
June 15, 2026
This passage really got me:
Five days after Reagan's final speech, the weekly edition of Time magazine arrived at the White House residence-the last one Reagan would receive as president. On the cover was, for the first time, a New York real estate developer who, according to the issue, was America's avatar in a new era of individualism: Donald J. Trump. "Something about his combination of blue-eyed swagger and success," wrote the cover article's author, Otto Friedrich, "has caught the public fancy and made him in many ways a symbol of an acquisitive and mercenary age." Friedrich's article also quoted the noted gossip columnist Liz Smith: "Even if Trump is the truest, most flamboyant child of Mammon yet produced at this waning moment of the 20th century, I like his style."
Reagan's farewell address and Trump's first Time cover serve as near-perfect markers for a decade in which America accelerated its hard turn away from the social contract and toward the cult of profit, away from hometowns and toward rootlessness, away from the playground and toward the screen, away from citizenship and toward consumerism, away from democratic education and toward credentialism, away from accountable democracy and toward oligarchic capture.
That was nearly four decades ago. Those turns are now complete.
Five days after Reagan's final speech, the weekly edition of Time magazine arrived at the White House residence-the last one Reagan would receive as president. On the cover was, for the first time, a New York real estate developer who, according to the issue, was America's avatar in a new era of individualism: Donald J. Trump. "Something about his combination of blue-eyed swagger and success," wrote the cover article's author, Otto Friedrich, "has caught the public fancy and made him in many ways a symbol of an acquisitive and mercenary age." Friedrich's article also quoted the noted gossip columnist Liz Smith: "Even if Trump is the truest, most flamboyant child of Mammon yet produced at this waning moment of the 20th century, I like his style."
Reagan's farewell address and Trump's first Time cover serve as near-perfect markers for a decade in which America accelerated its hard turn away from the social contract and toward the cult of profit, away from hometowns and toward rootlessness, away from the playground and toward the screen, away from citizenship and toward consumerism, away from democratic education and toward credentialism, away from accountable democracy and toward oligarchic capture.
That was nearly four decades ago. Those turns are now complete.
June 13, 2026
What a hopeful and practical release from what seems to be the cynicism of our current and collective state of mind. Senator Murphy doesn’t simply describe and bemoan this state, he clearly defines ways in which we can uplift our cynicism towards the common good. I am so glad and grateful to have discovered this hopeful and helpful book! Admittedly, there are parts of it that wade into the process of political weeds, yet I encourage the reader to keep going. The solutions offered pertain collectively, of course, but also individually.
July 12, 2026
Senator Chris Murphy gets it!!!!!
Crisis of the Common Good is the closest I’ve seen a sitting major U.S. politician come to correctly articulating the *real* problems we face as a nation, and offering some sort of a platform of policy solutions for addressing them. It’s not perfect, but it is authentic and earnest—qualities sorely lacking at the level of national leadership today.
The book rhymes so resonantly with, that it’s almost a sequel to, Robert Putnam’s The Upswing. That book, in occasionally dense academic jargon, traces the arc of American history since 1900 as broadly an I-we-I story — we went from a deeply divided, selfish, corrupt Gilded Age era to a golden age of solidarity, unity, and progress…..back to a Second Gilded Age today. Sen. Murphy largely agrees, albeit in much more approachable prose: we went from a “we” America to a “me” America, in so many aspects of life (spiritual, economic, social, political, etc). ((This book, I think, also rhymes with Anand Giridharadas’ writings, but that’s less relevant here.))
This book is largely a diagnostic of how we went from “we” to “me,” and how we might bend the course of American history back towards togetherness, community, solidarity, equality—and save ourselves in the process.
Of course, on the fringes, it reads a bit like a politician’s pre-presidential run campaign book. And, to be clear, it might be. But it’s not that in a real sense: this book is so much more serious, and simultaneously less self-serious, than a politician’s screed. It’s genuinely insightful, and not self-promoting.
Running for president is different from being president. I think Sen. Murphy would be much better at one than the other. Regardless, this is the kind of book that other leaders would do well to read, to internalize, and hopefully, to emulate as they set themselves on the project of fixing this damn country.
“The good news is that you do not have to wait for Washington. That would be its own kind of spiritual surrender. There is a role for all of us because the common good is not just a set of policies waiting to be enacted. It is a way of living, a decision each of us makes every day about our own priorities. It lives in the millions of small choices made by citizens who decide that their neighbors’ well-being matters as much as their own advancement. The choice to shop at the local hardware store. To coach the Little League team. To show up at the town council meeting. To know your neighbors by name. These choices, too, can crack the foundations of the cults [of profit, of consumption, of credentialism, etc].”
Let us all put in the work.
Crisis of the Common Good is the closest I’ve seen a sitting major U.S. politician come to correctly articulating the *real* problems we face as a nation, and offering some sort of a platform of policy solutions for addressing them. It’s not perfect, but it is authentic and earnest—qualities sorely lacking at the level of national leadership today.
The book rhymes so resonantly with, that it’s almost a sequel to, Robert Putnam’s The Upswing. That book, in occasionally dense academic jargon, traces the arc of American history since 1900 as broadly an I-we-I story — we went from a deeply divided, selfish, corrupt Gilded Age era to a golden age of solidarity, unity, and progress…..back to a Second Gilded Age today. Sen. Murphy largely agrees, albeit in much more approachable prose: we went from a “we” America to a “me” America, in so many aspects of life (spiritual, economic, social, political, etc). ((This book, I think, also rhymes with Anand Giridharadas’ writings, but that’s less relevant here.))
This book is largely a diagnostic of how we went from “we” to “me,” and how we might bend the course of American history back towards togetherness, community, solidarity, equality—and save ourselves in the process.
Of course, on the fringes, it reads a bit like a politician’s pre-presidential run campaign book. And, to be clear, it might be. But it’s not that in a real sense: this book is so much more serious, and simultaneously less self-serious, than a politician’s screed. It’s genuinely insightful, and not self-promoting.
Running for president is different from being president. I think Sen. Murphy would be much better at one than the other. Regardless, this is the kind of book that other leaders would do well to read, to internalize, and hopefully, to emulate as they set themselves on the project of fixing this damn country.
“The good news is that you do not have to wait for Washington. That would be its own kind of spiritual surrender. There is a role for all of us because the common good is not just a set of policies waiting to be enacted. It is a way of living, a decision each of us makes every day about our own priorities. It lives in the millions of small choices made by citizens who decide that their neighbors’ well-being matters as much as their own advancement. The choice to shop at the local hardware store. To coach the Little League team. To show up at the town council meeting. To know your neighbors by name. These choices, too, can crack the foundations of the cults [of profit, of consumption, of credentialism, etc].”
Let us all put in the work.
July 5, 2026
Chris Murphy for President! He demonstrates a firm grasp of many of today's most pressing problems while offering thoughtful, long-term solutions to address them. Among the topics he explores is the growing disconnect between the small group of people who have immense wealth and the rest of society. As he writes, "We are not bound together, only sorted by the size of our bank accounts." This simple but powerful statement captures one of the book's central themes: that economic inequality has eroded our shared sense of community.
He argues that many of the policies shaping society are created by people who are increasingly disconnected from the everyday experiences of ordinary citizens. The wealthy, he suggests, have been able to opt out of many aspects of the common human experience through private schools, private jets, VIP access, luxury boxes, and other exclusive privileges. The author raises an important question: How can leaders make decisions that truly serve the common good when they rarely experience the challenges faced by the people those decisions affect?
Chris Murphy for President!
He argues that many of the policies shaping society are created by people who are increasingly disconnected from the everyday experiences of ordinary citizens. The wealthy, he suggests, have been able to opt out of many aspects of the common human experience through private schools, private jets, VIP access, luxury boxes, and other exclusive privileges. The author raises an important question: How can leaders make decisions that truly serve the common good when they rarely experience the challenges faced by the people those decisions affect?
Chris Murphy for President!
May 29, 2026
An excellent book. While most books written by politicians are nothing more than campaign biographies filled with empty fluff, Senator Murphy's book is policy focused and community centered. He tackles a lot of the worst problems America is facing in a direct, hands on way that a lot of politicians do not. I think everyone, from all sides of the political spectrum should read this book. You may not agree with all of his proposals on how to tackle some of these issues, but I think it does a good job of mapping out how we got here as a country, and some of the ways we can come together to fix it.
June 20, 2026
Not an American, but found this a pretty good synopsis of the state of the world and the issues we face with social media, algorithms and lack of meaning. Some of his solutions are solid, others are overly simplistic and unimaginative. Very much a get everyone back to church vibe, without acknowledging that people have left churches for a reason. Is it worth asking how we have community without faith? And forcing all people into community service? There are better ways to get young people engaged and do so in ways that will connect them to their communities
June 26, 2026
A definite winner.
The idea of the erosion of the common good is not new, but the framing of the problem in terms of the six cults makes it more accessible. Don't expect an "ain't it awful" lament - this describes the problems and examines the underlying causes, and lays the groundwork for solutions. In today's world, it provides a well written and valuable place to stand. A place from which a person can take the small steps to contribute to the common good. Highly recommended.
The idea of the erosion of the common good is not new, but the framing of the problem in terms of the six cults makes it more accessible. Don't expect an "ain't it awful" lament - this describes the problems and examines the underlying causes, and lays the groundwork for solutions. In today's world, it provides a well written and valuable place to stand. A place from which a person can take the small steps to contribute to the common good. Highly recommended.
June 23, 2026
I think he does a really nice job finding areas of consensus between left and right with a bunch of progressive reform proposals. There is (unsurprisingly) little to no acknowledgment that he himself might be part of the problem (flexing the millions in his coffers, denigrating the culture wars and the media ((rightfully so)) while also being one of the talking heads I see most on CNN and MSNBC programs
July 5, 2026
While I didn’t necessarily agree with everything- there are some very good and interesting points as well as good decent observations. Murphy divides the 6 chapters into cults - The Cult of Profit, Everywhere, Technology, Consumption, Credentialism and Corruption.
All have a message - though I feel The Cult of Technology should be shared with parents raising children in today’s society as well as school administrators etc.
All have a message - though I feel The Cult of Technology should be shared with parents raising children in today’s society as well as school administrators etc.
July 2, 2026
Murphy's description of the "cults" that permeate America - for profit, for credentials, for technology, consumption, and corruption - offers a compelling structure for understanding the forces turning America from a shared enterprise to a lonely, unhealthy, fearful collection of have and have nots. His vivid descriptions of a better way are equally compelling, thank goodness
July 8, 2026
A must-read for everyone in this beautiful country, no matter which political "side" you are on. Senator Murphy clearly explains the current crisis and how we got into it. He points out that there is more that unites us than there is to divide us. He talks about technology, greed, community, and more. There is hope, and we all can contribute.
July 10, 2026
Heard him speak on a podcast and wanted to learn more about his philosophy. The book reads more like a manifesto based on analysis, which I think is a good format. It was just hard to listen to (did the audiobook) wakefully. If he ran for president I'd probably vote for him but his views are tame compared to what I think the left-leaning crowd needs and what he's up against.
June 6, 2026
this started off strong with the observation of current political and cultural issues, but lost me in during the in-depth descriptions of "the six cults" Americans allegedly worship and his proposed policy solutions.
June 16, 2026
- Murphy has an excellent understanding of the challenges facing society
- I reference this book a LOT in my political conversations
- Especially enjoy the chapter about the Cult of Technology
- Pragmatic, plausible solutions offered
- I reference this book a LOT in my political conversations
- Especially enjoy the chapter about the Cult of Technology
- Pragmatic, plausible solutions offered
July 4, 2026
This is an outstanding book that is extremely thought provoking. Recently different political/governmental scenarios have presented in recent days that are straight from this book. This book is amazingly prescient. It is a must read regardless of a person’s political stance on current events.
July 5, 2026
Excellent book explaining how community has been broken gradually over the decades, what has replaced it, and lots of ideas on how to bring it back. I wish everyone would read it and decide to be part of the change.
July 11, 2026
It was an okay read until page 242, up until then it mostly seemed dry and common sense. But, that he has slept through and is completely unaware that women have been fighting for the ERA is unforgivable. Yeah, exactly the problem he claims. my tent isn't that big asshole.
June 10, 2026
4.5 stars
June 11, 2026
A positive message on how government policies can help move our society away from the various me-centered cults poisoning modern America.
June 18, 2026
Very readable and I enjoyed the implicit hope. Lots of work ahead
July 11, 2026
5 stars. Why not Chris Murphy in 2028?
July 11, 2026
If there is one “I am running for president in 2028” book you should read this year, make it this one. Murphy has an incredible vision for rebuilding our politics, even if some of his policy ideas are not fully-baked.
I am particularly interested in the undertones here of community and civility. A return of both is undoubtedly necessary, but Murphy articulates that idea and how he thinks we should get there in a way that made me want to jump out of my chair and start right away.
These are ideas worth reading. 5/5
I am particularly interested in the undertones here of community and civility. A return of both is undoubtedly necessary, but Murphy articulates that idea and how he thinks we should get there in a way that made me want to jump out of my chair and start right away.
These are ideas worth reading. 5/5
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews