8 Books Every Leader Should Be Reading About America Right Now
(First published in Forbes on October 18, 2020)
Leaders, even the most optimistic ones, are facing challenging times shaped by powerful forces that have turned 2020 into a pivotal year in history. In the midst of the trauma of the moment, many leaders have been forced to quickly respond to dramatic changes confronting the nation and the planet.
But beyond taking decisive action, now is also a time for individuals of all backgrounds to level-up their understanding of how to lead an America at a crossroads. They can do this by learning from the diverse voices that are giving shape and meaning to the moment we find ourselves in — even voices that are at political odds with their own.
In these moments, it feels natural to say that we are in unprecedented times. But that isn’t entirely accurate – history, even very recent history, has much to teach us about times that, while perhaps not identical to the present, nonetheless have lessons to teach us about our future.
So regardless of how a leader views the past, even the darkest chapters of American history can help light optimistic pathways to the nation’s next chapter...
That is the power and possibility that history teaches us.
So with that in mind, here are eight books of recent and not-so-recent history that every leader, regardless of their politics, should be reading about America right now — not only to reflect upon the nation’s past, but also peer into its future.
And ultimately, to lead it.
In a timely mix of history and personal reflection, northern-born Connor Towne O’Neill examines the legacy of white supremacy in the southern United States through the exploration of the Confederate monuments. Part travelogue, part social commentary, it is a provocative book for leaders wondering about the troubling roots of today’s challenge of American white supremacy.
This America: The Case for the Nation
This compact book by acclaimed historian and bestselling author Jill Lepore explores the painful tension between American liberalism and nationalism. In the end, however, Lepore makes a powerful case for an American future that transcends our current, troubled moment. For any one searching for a compact and optimistic arguement for the future of America, Lepore has delivered a beautifully written case study.
People Like Us: The New Wave of Candidates at Democracy’s Door
Part celebration of the rapidly changing composition of American leadership and part guidebook for a generation of diverse leaders that are coming of age, this book is an optimistic look at the future of American politics. Sayu Bhojwani, New York City’s first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs and the founder and President of New American Leaders has written a must read for anyone who wants to understand the future of political leadership in America.
In a book that makes an exceptionally compelling case for renewal of public institutions in American life, Yuval Levin transcends partisanship and presents an actionable approach to responding to the crisis of our current times. Levin’s insights, gathered from his work in the George W. Bush White House and at the American Enterprise Institute, deeply inform this highly engaging book that should appeal to leaders across the political spectrum.
From the War On Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America
For readers looking to understand how we ended up in mired in current debate over criminalization in America, Elizabeth Hinton, a historian and professor at Yale, delivers a highly readable overview of policing and social welfare in the United States and how the intertwining of the two stems from an ironic twist of American history. Hinton’s incisive writing pushes past the soundbites the current politicized debate and gives real insight into the root causes of one of America’s greatest debates.
The Upswing: How America Came Together A Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again
Robert Putnam, political scientist author of the breakthrough Bowling Alone, once again delivers a powerful book that not only observes how Americans once secured a powerful American century at a time of national crisis, but how it can do so once again, For leaders looking to find both solace and strength in history, Putnam provides ample reason for optimism.
To understand our current debate over the Supreme Court and the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade, one needs to understand the history of how we got to this point. In a provocative book that explores the ideological history of the battle over reproductive freedom, Ilyse Hogue and Ellie Langford, the President and Director of Research of NARAL Pro-Choice America, offer readers a powerful viewpoint of recent reproductive political history that also is a roadmap for how pro-choice leaders looking can navigate an uncertain future.
What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era
Didn’t get around to reading all the books written about Trump over the past four years? Don’t worry, Carlos Lozada has you covered. As a journalist and nonfiction critic for the Washington Post, Lozada has written the ultimate hot take on the Trump era of American politics. Unquestionably, the years ahead will be filled with history books about the Trump legacy, but for right now, leaders would be smart to start with this book.