07/25/2022
Right-wing propagandists, white-collar criminals, and corrupt government officials are seeking to undermine democracy in the U.S. by fostering political division and spreading conspiracy theories that mask actual conspiracies, according to this eye-opening yet overheated account. Journalist Kendzior (Hiding in Plain Sight ) delves into numerous controversies, including the Iran-Contra affair, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International money-laundering scandal, and the 2007 plea deal that granted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein immunity from federal charges, to make the case that “of course people will flock to conspiracy theories when nearly every powerful actor is lying, obfuscating, or profiteering off pain.” Contending that “criminal elites” and “mega-millionaires” with deep ties to the government have set the U.S. on the path to dissolving into “multiple mafia states, which will possibly war with each other for profit,” Kendzior suggests that the key to combatting “a lack of transparency and a history of state abuse” is for citizens to protest and leverage their voting and financial power to demand accountability, including public hearings on “the broader bipartisan network of corruption and complicity surrounding .” Though Kendzior’s deep dives into recent scandals are illuminating, her relentless pessimism and overwrought prose somewhat undermine the force of her arguments. The result is a hit-or-miss diagnosis of what ails America. (Sept.)
"[ They Knew ] is good medicine. Sarah Kendzior is not looking to entertain anyone here — the stakes are too high. And no spoonful of sugar to help it all go down — straight no chaser, blunt, to the point, looking straight at it."—John Cusack They Knew with a wonderful mix of admiration, writerly envy, and the deep satisfaction that comes with realizing that there are good, brilliant people out there still fighting the good fight… It's such a relief to hear someone point out the obvious in such a clear, confident, unarguable way .”—Sebastian Junger, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Storm They Knew is a must read. Sarah Kendzior is like the Joan Didion of Missouri. ”—Rachel Dodes, coauthor of The Memo In a year of a lot of great books this one is outstanding. She is a brilliant writer. It’s both catharsis and vicarious vent! Essential."—Stevie Van Zandt THEY KNEW, deftly separates fact from fiction in a conspiracy-addled nation .”— Vanity Fair every sentence delivered ."—Timothy Snyder The book convenes a crucial conversation about the distinction between conspiracies and conspiracy theories — and how each term plays out in our common life....If "They Knew" was a concept album, it would unite multiple musical genres."—Chicago Tribune —Town & Style —St-Louis Post Dispatch with the skill of a brain surgeon – attempting a reverse lobotomy on a mostly comatose nation."— Wall Street on Parade Catch and Kill or Bob Woodward’s recent books ... Kendzior's compelling and urgent prose will speak to readers who are working to make sense of the current political and social landscapes."—Booklist —Kirkus Reviews —Publishers Weekly —InsideHook , "The 10 Books You Should Be Reading This September" "Enormously powerful, clear-headed and convincing."—The Straight Dope Praise for Hiding in Plain Sight —Tori Amos —Don Winslow —Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author of forthcoming novel The Daughters of Erietown —David Cay Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of It's Even Worse Than You Think and Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist —Peter Gallagher —Alex George, author of The Paris Hours —International Business Times , Top 10 Best Books About Donald Trump in 2020 —Library Journal Review —Bitch Magazine, 2020 Nonfiction Preview —The Chicago Daily Herald —Publishers Weekly —The Socialist Review —Kirkus —National Review of Books —The Arts Fuse —Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz Letter —Inside HigherEd —PrimmLife Praise for The View from Flyover Country —NPR — Hyperallergic —Record-Eagle —Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 85 Books for Summer Reading —Shelf Awareness, starred review —The Village Voice —The Arts Fuse —Medium —New York Post —St. Louis Post-Dispatch —Buffalo News —Columbia Journalism Review — Carol Haggas, Booklist — Kirkus —THE WIRE —STEFENE RUSSELL, ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE
The topics covered in this audiobook may be rough going for listeners, but the author’s commitment to sounding the alarm will keep them glued to their earbuds. Credible accounts are presented of how the public, especially marginalized people, are routinely lied to about climate change, the Covid pandemic, corruption among the powerful, and other unpleasant realities. Sarah Kendzior speaks in a tone of humility that makes her seem credible, even sympathetic. She sounds like a youthful investigative reporter, someone who will make listeners more motivated to understand what fuels her discontent and suspicion. She says a combination of naïveté and resignation is the default mode for humans. But her gentle writing and low-key earnestness will motivate many listeners to be more discerning about what they believe. T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
The topics covered in this audiobook may be rough going for listeners, but the author’s commitment to sounding the alarm will keep them glued to their earbuds. Credible accounts are presented of how the public, especially marginalized people, are routinely lied to about climate change, the Covid pandemic, corruption among the powerful, and other unpleasant realities. Sarah Kendzior speaks in a tone of humility that makes her seem credible, even sympathetic. She sounds like a youthful investigative reporter, someone who will make listeners more motivated to understand what fuels her discontent and suspicion. She says a combination of naïveté and resignation is the default mode for humans. But her gentle writing and low-key earnestness will motivate many listeners to be more discerning about what they believe. T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
2022-06-17
Even paranoiacs have enemies. In the case of current citizens of the U.S., the enemies are countless, as demonstrated by Kendzior, author of Hiding in Plain Sight and The View From Flyover Country . By the author’s account, the GOP is one, and particularly Republicans in state legislatures who insist that their states are naturally “red” when, in fact, almost everywhere is purple—“like a bruise.” Alas, Kendzior notes, Americans are gullible people: A week after the 2020 election, only 3% of the population believed that Donald Trump had won, but a year after, “only 58 percent of Americans—and only 21 percent of Republicans—still believed that Biden was the legitimate president.” In such an environment, it’s small wonder that conspiracy theories are in wide circulation. Some of them are bizarre enough to seem almost parodies—e.g., “Pizzagate.” Others, by Kendzior’s account, have stronger legs. For example, we still don’t know all the facts about 9/11, particularly when it comes to Saudi Arabia’s involvement, and the leaders of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol have yet to be brought to justice. In a corrupt culture of lies (think of the thousands Trump sputtered), chain reactions fire wildly. Since we mistrust authority but yield to power, it’s the loudest voice in the room that wins, no matter how ridiculous the matter in question might be. Take QAnon’s assertion that only Trump could save us from a pedophile ring, when in fact allegations of pedophilia have long surrounded him. Kendzior’s indignation can sometimes wax a touch too righteous, as when she snipes at Anthony Fauci for his supposedly overweening self-regard. Nonetheless, her incisive account of a society in a death spiral, beset by “simultaneous revivals of the worst of the American past,” is endlessly compelling.
A provocative, pointed challenge to all Americans to dig harder for the truth.
