The Age of Grievance

“Brilliant . . . Bruni writes with humor, insight, and precision. . . . Taken together, the instances of violence, hate, misinformation, and demagoguery he enumerates are staggering. . . . Bruni zooms in on grievance overload on both sides of the political aisle, in pop culture and on college campuses, in virtually every digital and physical space we occupy. He also zooms out, exploring the origins of this grievance sickness and prescribing potential antidotes.” —Wall Street Journal “It’s not just the most astute diagnosis of the rage, recrimination, and revenge culture that ails our country. It’s also the best prescription for our redemption.” —Bret Stephens, The New York Times “He’s one of the smartest people I know.” —Gail Collins, The New York Times “Whether from left or right, Bruni calls for a dose of humility on the part of all: ‘an amalgam of kindness, openness, and silliness might be an effective solvent for grievance.’ A welcome call to grow up and cut out the whining.” —Kirkus Reviews “In this feverish era for America and the world, Frank Bruni is the doctor we need. His diagnoses of our fractured politics are clear and compelling. His prescriptions are designed to heal. And his bedside manner—the wise, charming voice that has made him one of America’s most admired commentators—helps the medicine taste like sugar.” —David Von Drehle, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Charlie “Bruni deftly dissects how grievance came to pervade American life, with each political tribe attempting to out-victim the other in increasingly ostentatious ways, leaving us in a kind of hellscape. If you are tired of hearing from entitled blowhards who have achieved success far beyond their merit yet still believe they are oppressed and you hope instead for a society that values humility, this is the book for you. Alternately funny, depressing, and pointed, The Age of Grievance is much-needed reading for the self-righteous Ivy Leaguer and the red-hatted insurrectionist alike.” —Tim Miller, author of Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell “It can be a pleasure to read about how terrible things are when the writer is Frank Bruni. He gives us a catalogue of absurdities, sparing neither left nor right, along with some explanations of why our current wave of grievance is more dangerous than earlier waves. He also gives us great ideas for making our country less absurd. This is a wise and humane book for our foolish and cruel era.” —Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind, coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind “Bruni is one of my favorite New York Times writers because he’s fun and sane and ecumenical. This new book drills down on some of Jill Lepore’s concerns, the crypto-fascist insanity of the Trumpers and the self-righteous myopia of the Left. These arguments aren’t uncommon, but Bruni makes it an entertaining ride and a necessary reminder of how selfish and dangerous and whiny American public life has become.” —Joe Klein, Sanity Clause “An astonishing, alarming catalogue of the grievances that we nurture. I kept wanting to skip to the section on solutions (which are smart and hopeful, don’t worry) but I couldn’t do it. The writing was so sharp and good that I didn't want to miss anything! Damn you, Bruni!” —Amanda Ripley, journalist and author of High Conflict