Book #148 of 2017:
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
This is some very dense writing, and author Hannah Arendt can be a tad speculative and reductive, especially in her opening sections on antisemitism and imperialism. However, the closing section that gives the book its title is an improvement, and Arendt draws out key similarities between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia to get at the base nature of totalitarianism and how it can develop. It’s a good history lesson and an important checklist of warning signs, some of which feel particularly relevant in today’s political climate. But you really have to work for those insights, and Arendt doesn’t make it easy for her readers.
★★☆☆☆
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 