Man in the Mirror

""Anand Giridharadas has done it again—making us think in new ways about the ever-sharper divisions of modern America. Man in the Mirror is a tour de force of sharp-eyed reporting, powerful narrative, and heartbreaking tragedy. Its cast of characters are riveting, their stories compelling, and the moral impact of what happened to them as inescapable as are the tangled, troublesome times in which we now live. Brilliant and spellbinding."" —Robert B. Reich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Coming Up Short “Man in the Mirror is a gripping American tragedy—a profoundly human story of systemic failures, unequal judicial access, and the complexity of mental health care and individual choice. Anand Giridharadas captures how when rugged individualism, neoliberalism, and populism collide, people struggle to see each other until it is too late. Giridharadas is a powerful and compassionate writer of extraordinary conviction. This is a tremendous achievement.” —Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, a National Book Award Finalist “In Man in the Mirror, Anand Giridharadas traces a legal battle that set safety and order for the majority against protection and care for the neediest. He writes with sympathy for both sides, recognizing despair among the advantaged and the powerless. This book’s moral complexity feels especially urgent as polarization threatens to undermine territory far beyond Giridharadas’ central narrative. This is a brave volume, profoundly researched, beautifully written, moving, and deeply felt.” —Andrew Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of Far and Away and Noonday Demon, a National Book Award Winner and Pulitzer Prize Finalist