A leading historian confronts the myth of American meritocracy and our enduring reverence for the uber-rich—and reveals how the worship of wealth corrodes democracy
Isenberg’s argument is so vast that sometimes it can feel a little slippery. Aristocracy is a constantly evolving thing, and its definition throughout history is a many-columned parthenon. But it is an undeniably useful lens for understanding how America ended up with levels of concentrated power, fortune and flagrant wealth extraction similar to (if not greater than) those of the country it sought to distance itself from 250 years ago.
Isenberg deftly argues that the idea of America as a place where anyone can ‘make it big’ has been disproven by centuries of dominance by the wealthy few. . . . Ultimately, Isenberg demonstrates that the American upper class is only getting smaller and more wealthy with every passing day
Isenberg’s astute examination illuminates how the craving for not solely wealth but status-driven power and far-reaching influence have shaped our contemporary society. In thorough and accessible prose, she conveys how what we understand as the 'natural' courses of business, politics, and the distribution of wealth are anything but—a valuable realization if there is to be any hope of creating a more equitable future. A richly detailed analysis of class systems with as much relevance to today as at the time of our nation’s founding.
