Resist the “regressives.” Don’t be fooled by their lies. Inform yourself on the issues and mobilize. These are among the ringing phrases in Beyond Outrage, a lively polemic by the Berkeley public policy professor and former secretary of labor. Rather than merely rage against the machine, Reich analyzes the growing concentration of wealth and power in America and admonishes readers to avoid denial, cynicism and the urge to scapegoat. “It’s too easy in modern America to preach to the converted,” he warns, and to live in “ideological bubbles” where everyone agrees and nothing is accomplished. For positive change to occur, persuasion, an endangered skill in the era of thoughtless Internet comments and bumper-sticker politics, is essential. Beyond Outrage is a persuasive book.
