Forward

August 30, 2021
Yang (The War on Normal People) reflects on his 2020 presidential campaign and offers prescriptions for America’s social ills in this earnest yet lackluster account. After a hasty run-through of his childhood and rise from part-time test-prep tutor to CEO of the company, Yang delves into his underdog bid for the Democratic nomination, discussing how he gained followers by making his “Twitter voice more colloquial and casual, even a little sassy”; sharing behind-the-scenes details about memorable moments, including the time he teared up at a gun violence forum; and expressing frustration with the “persistent minimization” he received from cable news outlets. Yang then switches gears to address “institutional failures” in the U.S., including the CDC’s “slow and cumbersome response” to Covid-19, wealth disparity, the decline of local journalism, police brutality, and “legislative gridlock and dysfunction.” His solutions include a universal basic income, ranked-choice voting, 18-year term limits for the House and Senate, and tax breaks for local media outlets. Yang presents these policy ideas succinctly and with confidence, but has little to say about how they might be achieved, and his moments of genuine self-reflection are intermittent. This extended stump speech is unlikely to draw many new members to the Yang Gang. Agent: David Larabell, CAA.

September 1, 2021
A plan to make America work better, from the former presidential and New York City mayoral candidate. Like many observers, Yang sees the U.S. beset by economic and political problems. "Our physical health, mental health, financial security, and expectations for the future," he writes, "have all been declining or at multi-decade lows for years." Sharing lessons from the campaign trail, as founder and CEO of Venture for America--a nonprofit that channels enterprising recent college graduates into startups--and as founder of Humanity Forward, which promotes a "human-centered economy," the author proposes key structural changes. Election reform is paramount: When Yang first declared as a candidate, he felt largely ignored by the media until he grew in popularity on Twitter. The market drives media coverage, he asserts, and media thrive on fomenting polarization. Yang proposes open primaries and ranked-choice voting, which, he argues, better accounts for voter preferences. Noting that most members of Congress were elected in the 1980s or '90s, Yang advocates term limits, which would also lessen lawmakers' need for constant fundraising for reelection. Addressing legislative gridlock, the author acknowledges that government bureaucracies are "designed for stasis and inaction." Lawmakers are "actively discouraged" from bipartisan cooperation, and lobbyists have undue influence. Yang proposes getting rid of the filibuster and convening "civic juries" to inform legislators about their constituents' real concerns. Technological upgrading is crucial, as well--e.g., the creation of a citizen portal where people could renew licenses, file tax information, get benefits, and register to vote. As a presidential candidate, Yang famously proposed a Universal Basic Income of $1,000 a month, and he also advocates health care for all. The pandemic, he notes, has exacerbated divisiveness and sparked racism--which, as an Asia American, Yang has experienced directly. The most significant things the country needs, he believes, are grace, tolerance, and forgiveness. Nothing earth-shattering, but Yang offers thoughtful, sensible proposals for a better democracy.

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September 15, 2021
Former 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate and 2021 mayoral candidate of New York City, Yang (Smart People Should Build Things, 2014; The War on Normal People, 2018) addresses why the American political system is broken and shares his vision and plan to fix it. Reflecting on major lessons learned from his unsuccessful yet impactful presidential and mayoral campaigns, Yang traces his experiences meeting many people across the U.S. and on virtual platforms to understand the local and national issues affecting such communities. He also examines a host of critical and collective issues in the country such as the pandemic, police brutality, threat of job automation, political polarization, and the spread of mis/disinformation that undermines democracy. Readers of political memoirs and those interested in social issues will appreciate Yang's fascinating and timely insights as he reflects on the ongoing political conflict and economic crisis impacting the U.S. and the structural reforms, policies, and changes that are needed to address these issues. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: While his recent campaigns for office are over, Yang is still very much a political presence and his book is poised to make news.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.