The Dead Center

by Luke Savage

The Dead Center takes an acerbic and often ribald eye to contemporary politics, particularly those of mainstream liberals in the United States. Combining engaging polemic and serious intellectual analysis, it offers a timely portrait of a political landscape sullied by an already ineffectual Biden administration, the marginalization of forces around Bernie Sanders and the ominous shadow of Donald Trump in the wings.

In these pages Jacobin staff writer Luke Savage exposes the hollowness and futility of the liberal project in the 21st century, offering searing critiques of some of its leading figures, notably Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau, and touching on topics that extend over the milquetoast politics of the Biden presidency, Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing, the monopolists of Silicon Valley, and the worst excesses of cable news punditry. Always deeply informed, often on the basis of direct personal experience, Savage’s book also explores the recent trajectory of younger people away from the liberal mainstream and towards the socialist left.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Essays, History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Nathan Shuherk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luke is a fantastic writer. Very insightful and very funny. However, I could rate each essay (“article”) a four to five star, but as a book it feels slightly sloppy and disjointed. With taking out some of the essays and adding several new ones as an idealogical link to make this book cohesive, we could’ve had something special and worth recommending to everyone interested in modern political theory and analysis. But what we have here is probably just a suggestion to follow the author on Twitter and read the articles he writes as they come out.

[Leem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. At times felt it was stating the obvious, but that is probably owing to my familiarity with a) the subject matter b) the work of the author himself. Was sceptical about the structuring as a collection of previously published essays. I would have preferred a study of Liberalism more akin to the style of Corey Robin’s The Reactionary Mind’s treatment of Conservatism. However, this is a minor gripe as all elements of such a study were present.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm familiar with Savage from his Michael & Us podcast. I could hear his voice throughout the book.
I'm not a big fan of reading old articles (just look at my inbox) but this was solid and held my interest, particularly neo-victorianism and Obama's memoirs.

[Jenya Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun book of essays on where the center has taken us politically. I recommend this - let me know if you want to borrow it.

[Benet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Luke Savage's columns and his perspective, but I didn't love seeing it in book form. First of all, his writing style tends to reuse the same words and phrases a lot. While something that might not be noticeable when you read a column once or twice a month, seeing words like "shibboleth", "zeitgeist", and "apparatchik" used several times in one sitting is kind of bizarre. The arguments within, although compelling, are similarly repetitive. The other thing I disliked was the slightly haphazard organization of the essays. Politics change very quickly, and if the essays had been organized chronologically it would have been easier to follow. Instead, as you flip from one section to another you're jumping back and forth in time without easy temporal markers.

That being said, cool book with some good points.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed in this book and only got 50 pages in. Found out about the author through a podcast and he spoke eloquently, which got me interested in his book. But the book is a collection of very short articles he's previously written which isn't inherently bad. However, in each article I didn't find much elaboration past the first paragraph or two. It felt like everything the author had to say was done in the first page. The shortness of each article probably contributes to that feeling but then it needs to make up for it with density. Not horribly written but nothing of substance for me.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Requested through an interlibrary loan.

An excellent first book by Luke Savage, a contemporary writer whose personal prose and style is, for me, rivalled by few at the present moment. Savage adeptly hops between mainstream media fodder, political economy and the rich and expansive annals of history and (popular) culture. Taking notes from Fisher, he extrapolates meaning from unfamiliar places so as to shine a light on the multifaceted behemoth we collectively face.

[Joshua Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not hyperbole to say that Luke Savage has been one of — if not the — leading voices for the new left. His work in Jacobin, The Atlantic, Current Affairs, and now, The Dead Center, sharply, effortlessly lampoons both the established hallowed halls of American lanyard-liberalism and the scorched-earth, inhumane policies of the right-wing circus, all while delivering a cogent prose that's humorous and heartfelt.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curated collection of Luke's essays and articles. In this book and on his podcast, Michael and Us, I find Luke's views on politics clarifying, and his view-from-a-distance looks at the US system accurate and pointed.

For a taste of his writing not in the book I'd recommend the article "Entertainment Monopolies Are Zombifying Mass Culture", available free online" at Jacobin.

[paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful reading to anyone who wants to develop a better understanding and explanation for just how inept the modern “centrist” democrats seem to be. Highlights include the chapter about Obama’s memoir and his incredibly calculated cynicism , as well as the chapter about Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing” and how it poisoned a generation of political operatives

Great job Luke !

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was disappointed to find that the book is an essay collection rather than a slightly more cohesive whole. The essays themselves are all punchy and very good, but there are a few too many book reviews, and I think having more connective tissue between them would be of benefit.

[Bernardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essay by one of the most insightiful writers on North American politics is a crucial record of 21st century US political culture.

[Evan Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Savage is an entertaining and insightful writer. Well worth picking up, although I would echo the criticism of a few others that the collection of essays at times feels a bit slapdash.