The Hidden History of Neoliberalism: How Reaganism Gutted America and How to Restore Its Greatness

by Thom Hartmann

America’s most popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals how and why neoliberalism became so prevalent in the United States and why it's time for us to turn our backs to it.

With four decades of neoliberal rule coming to an end, America is at a crossroads. In this powerful and accessible book, Thom Hartmann demystifies neoliberalism and explains how we can use this pivotal point in time to create a more positive future.

This book traces the history of neoliberalism—a set of capitalistic philosophies favoring free trade, low taxes on the rich, financial austerity, and deregulation of big business—up to the present day. Hartmann explains how neoliberalism was sold as a cure for wars and the Great Depression. He outlines the destructive impact that it has had on America, looking at how it has increased poverty, damaged the middle class, and corrupted our nation’s politics.

America is standing on the edge of a new progressive era. We can continue down the road to a neoliberal oligarchy, as supported by many of the nation’s billionaires and giant corporations. Or we can choose to return to Keynesian economics and Alexander Hamilton’s “American Plan” by raising taxes on the rich, reversing free trade, and building a society that works for all.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Economics, Philosophy, Audiobook, American

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2022

About the author

Thomas Carl Hartmann is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressive political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003 and hosted a nightly television show, The Big Picture, between 2010 and 2017.

Reviews

[Tim Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the day, I hated Reagan almost as much as I hate Trump today. Reagan turned the Republican party into a cult and thereby enabled the Trump cult that's plaguing us today.

[Murad B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compact synopsis of neoliberal hyper-capitalism and a dive into where this experiment has occurred since the 1970s — Argentina, Russia, post-US invasion Iraq, and the US. Traces in detail the massive upward distribution of wealth under Reagan, Clinton, the two Bushes, Obama, and Trump, and the fatal error of outsourcing manufacturing overseas in the 1990s and the transition to a 1099-centric "gig economy" in the 2010's.

Hartmann argues that neoliberalism can only sustain for a generation or two, and it's at its terminal point in the US. The two forks are more regulated progressivism, or "full fascism" as Hartmann calls it, much in line with the framing of Noam Chomsky and Jared Yates Sexton.

Hartmann describes the fallacy of the "McDonald's doctrine" - which assumed that massive globalization would prevent conflict between hyper-consumptive nations, the roll-back of government social safety nets, and the "commons" for unfettered, corrupt market-based capitalism, and austerity, that is "a lack of government participation in the lives of people, in any supportive way" except for law and defense. In terms of emergency management responses to the climate crisis, Hartmann's analysis can be extended to show that response is in the domain of the public commons, but not recovery or mitigation/resilience — this showing corruption in the hyper-privatization of these domains. Likewise, during the Covid pandemic, the flaws of neoliberalism can be seen in the "go Big Pharma or go home" approach with collateral damage on the human population seen through multiple re-infections, long covid, the casual acceptance of death, and widespread disability.

In Hartmann's view, neoliberalism thrives on "constrained democracy" and "austerity" — a lack of government participation in the lives of people in any supportive way.

[JAMES D PLASPOHL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike reviewer Doug Lewars, who misspelled Milton Friedman's name (as Martin Friedman), I think the book is "fair and balanced" because it rises above all the politics and clearly points out that both parties have fully participated in the Miltonian laissez faire deregulation shift that has taken the U.S. to where it is now. Somehow Lewars thinks this book says "globalization is a right wing initiative". I did not get that from my reading. The author clearly points out Clinton and Obama as key players in this disastrous shift. There was a brief mention of Ross Perot and the "giant sucking sound" that we have all heard (and seen) as well as Clinton's participation in NAFTA and shipping jobs overseas as well as Obama's yielding and rolling over to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
If you are all jacked up on Fox News and have a right wind axe to grind, maybe you have too much bias to read this book, but if you have an open mind and just want to understand what's going on, I recommend reading it. If you think the Democratic Party can save us, you definitely need to read the book, because it will clarify that they have clearly taken us in the opposite direction over the last 40 years.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 1 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

Left wing drivel.

If your politics are left of center you’ll enjoy this book. If you’re more to the right, you may as well pass it by.

If you do decide to read this thing, I recommend going to Wikipedia and reading the article on Neoliberalism there. You don’t have to read it first. Just read it sometime before you finish the book and it clears up a few things. As a word, it seems ‘Neoliberalism’ has a number of meanings. The one seemingly preferred by this author is Neoliberalism stands for anything he dislikes. For me the term seems to mean Corporate Capitalism but its definition may be broader.
The author’s particular gripe is with Martin Friedman’s economics and the Chicago Boys – students of Mr. Friedman’s. He’s convinced their beliefs are at the root of all problems in the United States and elsewhere today.

He distinguishes Neoliberalism from both Libertarianism and Ayn Rand’s Objectivism but as far as I can see, all three are pretty much synonymous with laisse-faire capitalism.

Surprisingly, there were a couple of points made by Mr. Hartmann I agreed with. He suggests free trade, specifically NAFTA, was a job killer and I think he was correct. Ironically, his objection was American jobs headed to low cost Mexico, whereas I objected to Canadian jobs headed to certain lower cost states in the US, but we lost jobs to Mexico as well. Overall, NAFTA was comparatively tame. Far more jobs and industries went to India and China I think than to Mexico. In any event, the industrial base of North America in its entirety was hit hard. The author goes on to make a very good point that it’s a really, really bad idea to have components needed by your military built by a foreign country, particularly one such as China which is less than enamored with western freedoms. He also points out that if China stopped exporting, American store shelves would be empty within two weeks.

Interestingly he believes Globalization is a right wing initiative, and it’s true, Nafta was started by President Regan; however, it seems the Democrats elbowed the Republicans out of the way. Forming a South-East Asia, Australia and American trading block was promoted hard by Hillary Clinton in the Obama administration. It was only scuttled at the last minute when Republicans backed by their supporters raised a hue and cry. Likewise it was You-Know-Who who forced renegotiation of Nafta and took steps to at least reduce the heavily skewed balance of trade with China. Frankly there are very few individuals who would regard the latter individual as being left of center.

If Mr. Hartmann believes neoliberalism (laisse fair capitalism) is bad – and the does – then he regards goodness as socialism and believes we should all follow the Scandinavian model. Being curious I took a look at the per-capita GDP between 1981 – when he argues Neoliberalism began in the US – and 2021. Did the Scandinavian countries outperform the USA? Norway certainly did and by a wide margin. Denmark was pretty much tied with the US and Sweden did quite a bit worse. This being the case it would seem there are a number of factors in play and socialism vs neoliberalism is likely just one.

One thing which seems pretty clear is any form of shock to an economy, whether It’s a 180 degree turn as in Russia after the fall of Communism or COVID-19, is a bad thing. In order to function well, it seems economies can tolerate change only gradually.

The author is a big fan of Bernie Sanders and anyone else who’s on the far left. Much of the remainder of the Democratic party he seems to see as conservative. It’s interesting to note he founded International Wholesale Travel and its retail subsidiary Sprayberry Travel in 1983 which went on to generate over a quarter of a billion dollars in revenue. Ah yes, another rich liberal bemoaning capitalism. Enjoy your lattes Mr. Hartmann.

I do not recommend this book; however, if you do want to read it I suggest you go with text as opposed to the audio version. The reader’s voice is quite unpleasant.

[MaskedSanity­ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like other books in the "Hidden History" series that I've read, I found myself getting angry as I read the book. Not due to disliking the book, but due to the stuff that I've learned. Thom Hartmann very much understands history and the lessons from it. He doesn't just preach at you, he uses evidence to explain his points and the more educated that I get, the more frustrated that I get. The problems of Neoliberalism are obvious, but some people just don't see it.

[Edward Champion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Hartmann slim volume I've picked up and it certainly won't be my last. I suspect Hartmann is where Timothy Snyder found the inspiration to publish ON TYRANNY. Hartmann is quite nimble in tracing the (surprising -- Nazis; unsurprising -- Friedman and the University of Chicago school economic scumbags) roots of neoliberalism. He does lean a little too much on Naomi Klein, but his heart and presentation is in the right place. A good primer on why you should despise the gutless mercantile nothingspeak of corporate Democrats.

[Science and Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small book with large print, only 159 pages (+ references), so I read it in two comfortable sittings. I really wish the publisher would bundle together some of Hartmann’s “mini books” into something more substantial, but there is no question that what he has to say is worth reading. The writing itself flows with clarity and is loaded with many jaw-dropping facts. Because of its concision certain nuances of understanding are sacrificed in order to make the big picture clear. For example, whenever Hartmann talks about Ludwig Mises (the Austrian School of Economics) it is all in a negative context, whereas when it was first developed it explained a lot of why economic realities changed during the industrial revolution.

Hartmann begins his argument against free-market capitalism in December of 1938 when a group of economists and philosophers from Britain, France, and America met in Paris to discuss the looming dangers of both Fascism and Communism. After a weeklong debate they decided that free market capitalism was more agile and representative in responding to the will of the people than any governmental dictate, law, or regulation. But the book should have really gone a little further back, to the Wild West capitalism before anti-trust measures were taken and the Food and Drug Administration formulated to stop hucksters from selling poison. I keep having flashbacks to Ken Burns’ documentary mini-series on America’s National Parks, with the episode on Niagara Falls and the photos of thousands of peddlers who build unsafe viewing planks for visitors to walk out onto for a better view. Hundreds died. These vintage photos show a scene of ramshackle huts and non-existent human waste management, and that’s exactly what unregulated free-market capitalism gets you. I firmly believe that even adults need supervision, or some sort of educated moral compunction, or the worst of human nature will rear its ugly head.

Hartmann details just how destructive the ideologies of the Chicago Boys (led by Milton Friedman) have been on the worldwide stage. They were advisors to the ruthless dictator Pinochet in Chile (who would drop dissenters out of helicopters) and even more ruinously, under the auspices of the U.S. government, they guided the first decade of economic reform in the fledgling post-Soviet Russia. Gorbachov wanted a socialist democracy modeled after Sweden, but rather than guide them with sensible Hamiltonian policies which worked well to get America started, we forced them to go with Uncle Milt’s brand of free-market capitalism if they were to see any assistance from the U.S. The result was Putin and Billionaire oligarchs. When given absolute free reign this ideology has always proven catastrophic.

One thing that does annoy me with Hartmann is that he is clearly partisan, and clearly in the Bernie Sanders camp and will say things like “The Republican’s Great Depression of the 30's” or "Bush’s Housing Crash of 2008” assigning blame on Republicans for everything. Even Leftist Kurt Andersen praised Eisenhower for sensible leadership in an America before all the counter-cultural crap hit in the mid-60's, or its backlash when the Republicans got in bed with the religious right in the 80's. Remember, Clinton - always wanting to please everybody - easily acquiesced to the neoliberals in congress, and turned a blind eye toward what we were forcing Russia to do, which was essentially to go from Communism to hardcore hyper-capitalism cold turkey, without any social safety nets. Our own Marshall Plan model for Germany would have been much more sensible.

Hartmann is also more pro-Union than I am. My thought is that the unions got too big for their britches, with uneducated line workers making $35-40 an hour back in the early 80s, and foremen making 60-80/hour for essentially non-skilled labor. Yes, learning to properly weld a joint is a skill, but my son learned how to do that in a weekend, and now makes metal sculptures as a hobby in his spare time. I say if you want to allow generous compensation for muscular work, then pay the farmers more. There is a lot of risk, and you can’t just up and move to take another job. But Hartmann points out in detail how once the unions lost their bargaining power then corporations that were focused on the bottom-line systematically deindustrialized America by sending work offshore. The dream was that everybody would be up-trained to do computer work or other non-muscular work. Instead we ended up with the middle class sinking downward into a service-based economy.

The other big reveal for me was just effective the Keynesian model is compared to the unregulated free-market approach of the neoliberals. John Maynard Keynes was English born and educated at Cambridge, famous for both his mathematical modelling and economic theory. He became advisor to FDR on how to pull the U.S. out of the great depression. His theory is for the most part based on Hamilton’s economic theory (which Jefferson eventually came around to seeing as a wise course of action). The free-market approach advocated by Reagan (who took the U.S. off the gold standard and devalued the dollar in the false hope of increasing export) proved utterly disastrous for Chile and Russia (post 1991), but what I didn’t realize was that the huge success of post-war Germany, post-war Japan, South Korea since 1979, and China when in 1988 they decidedly turned away from Maoist ideals – all of them based their rapid regrowth and stability by adopting the Hamilton-Keynes approach to economic wealth. So it’s not just theory. The method of no oversight always leads to greed and corruption, the other system (Hamiltonian) always succeeds.

The Hamilton-Keynesian model advocates that governments help support and subsidize fledgling industry (better that than a failed welfare state) put into place protective import tariffs, and nurture the middle class where money made at home is likely to be recirculated at home. Hartmann praises the Keynes-FDR approach of putting people to work building infrastructure that would serve the country for decades to come. Both Eisenhower and JFK continued in this vein. But with Reagan there was an abrupt end, deregulations have proven disastrous, with all money going to the one-percent, who are likely to have tax havens and estates out of country and spend their wealth in ways that doesn’t recirculate back into the originating economy. This is therefore the big problem with globalism, which Clinton, Tony Blair, and Obama all bought into. Most political candidates continue to buy into the dream of a global economy where the top earners can make money in New York and go and spend it in the Bahamas.

Verdict: Not a perfect or complete book, but it is a good start for those just beginning to dip their toes into the turbulent waters of political economics.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4h 29m - Book 8 of 10

Thom Hartmann's The Hidden History of Neoliberalism traces the origins and destructive impact of neoliberal economic philosophy on the United States, positioning it as a direct threat to the American middle class and democracy.

---

### 🧐 Core Argument and Focus

Hartmann lays out the argument that the shift toward neoliberalism — a set of capitalistic philosophies favoring free trade, low taxes on the rich, financial austerity, and extensive deregulation of big business — was deliberately implemented starting with the Reagan administration and continued by leaders in both major parties.

The book is structured as a historical primer, showing:

* **The Roots of Neoliberalism:** It traces the intellectual lineage of the movement to figures like Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, and Milton Friedman, positioning their ideas not just as alternative economic models but as movements fundamentally skeptical of democracy and government intervention.

* **The Neoliberal Experiment:** Hartmann details the implementation of these policies globally (e.g., in Pinochet's Chile and post-Soviet Russia) and their eventual adoption in the U.S., accelerating the upward distribution of wealth and creating a powerful oligarchy.

* **The "Gutting" of America:** The book outlines the detrimental consequences of these policies, arguing they have increased poverty, severely damaged the middle class, corrupted politics through the influence of corporate money, and led to the fatal error of outsourcing manufacturing. It connects these policies directly to contemporary issues like the "gig economy" and income inequality.
---

* **Call to Action:** The final section of the book offers a clear, progressive alternative, advocating for a return to a more regulated, Keynesian economic model and Alexander Hamilton's "American Plan" — including higher taxes on the wealthy and reversing free-trade policies—to build a more equitable society.

---

### 🎯 Conclusion

**The Hidden History of Neoliberalism** is an important and timely book for readers interested in a progressive critique of modern American economic policy. It serves as an excellent primer for understanding the economic forces driving inequality and political dysfunction over the last four decades. It is highly recommended for anyone who wants a clear, historical explanation of neoliberalism and a blueprint for a progressive economic counter-movement.

[Bruce Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! A very concise description of neoliberalism and the history of its rise in the US and the world. Hartmann recounts the formative years with economists Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, the Mount Pelerin Society, and Milton Friedman. He shows how their ideas influenced Margaret Thatcher in 1978 and Ronald Reagan in 1981 to reinvent their respective economies along free trade lines.

In the US, 6 succeeding presidents continued neoliberal practices (Reagan, GHW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush, Obama, and Trump). In that time the US middle class shrank from 67% of the population to 49% of the populaion, 60,000 US manufacturing plants were closed, the top 1% controls more wealth than the entire lowest 50%, the US trade imbalance is near $1 trillion a year, and Wal-Mart is the largest US employer with its workers paid $13/hr with no benefits.

Neoliberalism is entrenched in both Republican and Democratic politics. But the American people are feeling neoliberalism's negative effects - reduction of the middle class to become the working poor so as to prevent the social unrest of the 50's, 60's and 70's (racial equality, sexual revolution, anti-war demonstrations). Those periods threatened business.

Unfortunately, many American workers displaced by the global economy have turned to Trump, believing in his grift and empty promises rather than recognizing his actions during his first term that promoted neoliberalism - huge tax reduction for the rich, token meaningless tariffs on China, continuation of globalism, and self-enrichment while in office.

We are ripe for a revolution to throw off the yoke of neoliberalism, embrace populism, and regrow the middle class. An unfettered free market may be good for the wealthy, but it is not best for human society. Some form of regulated economy is needed.

[Charles Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neoliberalism: Political and economic philosophy that emphasizes free markets, deregulation and reduced government intervention in the economy. Promotes the idea that free markets are the most efficient way to allocate resources and foster economic growth, often leading to policies like privatization, deregulation, and reduced social welfare programs. Good for the rich. Bad for everyone else.

Neoliberalism has seized control of most governments of the developing world. P. 11.
Results include greater wealth going to the already morbidly rich and their takeover of the government. Neo liberalism creates vast income inequalities.
Neoliberals believe we are rugged individuals who should take care of ourselves. P. 88. Or else. At least, they are not going to take care of us. But, high taxes for the rich are important for creating a strong middle class. P. 114. Neo liberalism eats the middle class and makes the morbidly rich even wealthier. The trickle-down effect does not work! Keeping America impoverished and in fear keeps those who rule over us in power.
Meanwhile, China is buying us out with they money they made selling goods to us. pp.136-140.
The high cost of privatizing portions of the military kept troop salaries down and big money going to rich governmental “friends.”
The subtitle basically tells it all… except the book is a weak on how to restore America to greatness.
Names and dates are given within.
But, the book was printed in 2022 and needs a 2026 revision.
How fast the Joe Biden’s reforms have faded... and history past and present is being rewritten.
.

[Myles Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to Thom Hartman when he went on Hill Rising and casually destroyed conservative and libertarian talking points. Following this appearance I immediately put this book on my want-to-read list and am happy I finally got around to diving into it. The Hidden History of Neoliberalism speaks in a form that should be the primary method of discourse in liberal politics. Thom could have brought in identity politics and mentioned how much of a role race plays in disparities and divestment of public resources, but that type of rhetoric inevitably places individuals in their tribal corners. Instead, Thom makes the case against neoliberalism in a very patriotic fashion. Evoking the vision of the founders and the growth America made in the post Depression Era which is so often what people refer to when they dare mention the American Dream. The book ends on an uplifting note. Whether we are analyzing the rhetoric of Trump or Biden, both campaigns are responding to the death and declining popularity of neoliberalism. We abandoned American manufacturing, shipped off well-paying middle-class jobs, destroyed local economies to satisfy the greed of corporate monopolies and foreign investors, and all we have positive to show for it are cheap appliances. The ultimate challenge will be to get this message out to the masses.

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hidden History of Neoliberalism: How Reaganism Gutted America and How to Restore its Greatness written by Thom Hartmann read by Sean Pratt. Hartmann returns to his Hidden History of America series by bringing many of his previous topics together to show readers how the United States has gone from a global leader in the 1950s and 1960s to the underperforming second rate country that we are today. This edition defines neoliberalism from its birth through all its experiments around the world showcasing all its failures (it has no success stories) to how it took hold of the United States and what it has done to our economy, healthcare, middle class, education and unemployment. Hartmann offers the two options America now has, the directions each will take us and how to change course before it’s too late. Written as one of the later topics in the series, this book actually works well if read prior to some of his others such as Healthcare, Big Brother, Oligarchy, Monopolies and the Supreme Court as it gives an overall picture while the others hone into specific topics.

[Ann Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't understand neoliberalism until I read this book

Thom Hartmann is one of my favorite writers because he can take history and break it down to show us how we got from point A to point B. In this book he explains how Ronald Reagan was the answer to the dreams harbored by American oligarchs ever since FDR instituted policies to lift people out of poverty by imposing restraints on the morbidly rich whose excesses caused the Great Depression. Their mantra of "the market will decide" is just another version of the discredited trickle down theory. It is the reason for the massive income inequality in this country.

Ronald Reagan started our slide into neoliberalism, but he is not solely to blame. Every president since, including presidents from the Democratic party, have bought in to this fallacy.

If you are concerned about the direction this country has taken, I highly recommend you read this book.

Knowledge is power.

[Jake Blaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel somewhat safely unbiased giving this book 5 stars and placing it on to my mandatory reading list because Thomas Hartmann spends the first few chapters decently criticizing communism in its attempted forms as failures and unrealistic. That being said this quick read is paramount to understanding just how deeply and utterly Milton Friedman, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan chose corporate advocacy at the cost of impoverishing their nations’ populace. This book explains the ideologies behind why every American now knows that their politicians are bought and sold (on both sides of the aisle). If left to their own devices our neoliberal leaders will sell out every single member of America’s 99% just to lay at the feet of 1,000 different CEOs curled up on a rug like the dogs they are and warming their paws by the fire kindled by their fellow citizens.

[Yoly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and fascinating read.

In this short book, the author packs a lot of information on the subject. I had always been curious about how we got to where we are in terms of economics and this book served as a perfect introduction. Although I was aware of Milton Friedman, and even started reading Capitalism and Freedom only to put it down because it was making me angry, I didn’t know exactly how we got here but thanks to Thom Hartmann and this book, now I know :)

Highly recommended if you’re interested in neoliberalism, or even if you’re just curious about the subject, like I was.

[Paul Falcone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible insights into what's REALLY going on in American politics

Thom Hartmann's "Neoliberalism" explains in detail how we got to the point where we are today and why: a shrinking middle class, the off-shoring of valuable manufacturing jobs, a purposeful concentration of wealth in the hands of the top one percent, the attack on unions, the appeal of strong men, and so much more. Still, there's hope that the neoliberal cycle is nearing its end, and a return to rebuilding the American middle class is at hand. Hartmanns 's message of hope couldn't come at a better time. But its not guaranteed, and we have our work cut out for us. Nothing less is at stake than the role of the United States in the new world of the 21st century.

[Ann Straight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This describes the GOP economic thinking. The writer makes the case that it has damaged the American middle class. The difference between conservative vs progressive neoliberal thinking is lightly covered by not emphasized. Trade, manufacturing is discussed and which countries are successful and which are not economically. A lot of information in a short book which leads to more questions.

The GOP will not like this book because Hartmann considers neoliberalism a great failure in America. I look forward to reading more by this author and more about economic theory vs real world results.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short book -- less than 200 pages -- but it's a great primer for learning more about neoliberalism and its impact on both America and the world. Thom Hartmann is able to condense a lot of history, political science, and economics into a well-researched and clear volume. Have you wondered why so many government jobs are done by contractors? Do you wonder why you're paying so much for college? Why have factory jobs left the United States so quickly? What made banks deserve a bailout and Americans who lost their home received nothing? This book offers answers and Thom Hartmann offers some guarded hope for the future.

[Denise Gaudette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear explanation of economic U.S. history

If you're curious about how the middle class vanished in the U.S., and what could cause people to vote for a lying "billionaire," you'll want to read this book. Hartmann offers an explanation that is clear and easy to understand. And, he lays blame on both major parties under every POTUS, beginning with Reagan. If you don't have time for the whole book, read the last few chapters. Then, you'll probably want to start at the beginning and get more details. Every voter should read it before voting in 2024.

[Dave Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read explanation of current US economics

Hartman writes in an easy-to-read style. The book is a compelling explanation of why so many Americans are falling behind today. The book goes back to Alexander Hamilton for the explanation! Highly recommended.

Should be required reading for every voter on the US. More important, perhaps those who don't vote might show up at the polls if they read it!

[Doug Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

another banger in hartmann's series' of secret histories. neoliberalism is pseudo-economics. its the rich lying the poor into giving away their power. like a bunch of kings trying to convince the peasants how great the feudal system is. & they do it by hijacking the language of the masses. academic capture, media capture, religious capture, judicial & legislative capture. & now executive capture. excellent book.

[Liz Wiest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is designed to provide an educational, brief, and critical history of Neoliberal politics that have dominated the Western sphere since the Reagan administration. If you’re a “history buff” that prioritizes content with a Centrist lean, you will not enjoy it…though you may gain something from it.

[Alan Fite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has many facts from the author and other people. It gives a good understanding of the path our political system has taken since Reagan’s trickle down economics. It is a good read and very informative.

[Mike Haxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Warning and a tag

Tom Hartmann makes more sense than any right wing writer. I strongly suggest that you read this, and his other Hidden History books. You will be glad you did, and for once you will be informed.

[Michael Mentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thom gets it. I wish some of the arguments were a little more fleshed out (we all know monopolies are bad but three paragraphs does not a chapter make) but I really enjoyed this one and plan to make my way through the rest of his Hidden History series

[chris deal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent critique of neoliberalism and its failure

Excellent critique of America’s democratic devolution caused by progressive and conservative neoliberalism. Anyone concerned with their children’s future should read with understanding.

[SeaShore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Released in 2024, the author presents this information in an easy to follow way, summarizing, for example, Alexander Hamilton's 11-step Plan that worked for 188 years. He listed other countries that used this plan and was successful.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather eye-opening approach to American political history from the perspective of how the fat cats keep twisting buzzwords to make their plans to skew the economy to favor them sound almost reasonable.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little brief in parts but overall it's a solid dive into the history of neoliberalism and how it's failed most of society.

[Mark Rimelspach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book shows the history of Neoliberalism in USA and other countries and how it has failed on many levels to the reach expectations and the damage it has caused to the middle class in the process.