Chris Hedges, a globally renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning author, gives us an entirely new view of a nation in crisis in his recently released book, America: The Farewell Tour, which holds both liberals and conservatives to account — as is rousingly pertinent for Canada as for the disoriented United States. Beautifully written, the book clarifies vividly and unforgettably the forces at play in our times.

In astonishing, tough, first-hand reportage, Hedges draws on stories from inside communities across America and reveals how the hurricanes of change have allowed an array of pathologies to arise: the opioid crisis, the retreat into gambling, the corporate coup d’état of government, the pornification of culture, the rise of magical thinking, the emboldening of violence and hate, the plagues of suicides and the global upheaval caused by catastrophic climate change. These are just some of the physical manifestations of a society unravelling. Such ills presage a frightening reconfiguration of our lives — particularly in the face of our neighbour’s degeneration as a world power.

US President Donald Trump rode this disenchantment to power. Hedges, who was unsurprised by Trump’s victory, shows how neither the left nor the right is addressing the country’s systemic problems. Until the corporate coup d’état is reversed, these diseases will grow and ravage the country. A humane cry for a decent future, this remarkable book is our wake-up call to reality.