It was highlighted as an acclaimed nonfiction work that won the 2013 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
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He's also the author of several acclaimed books, including The Unwinding, An Inner History of the New America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2013.
— Episode: The Talented Mr. Vance
Episode: The Talented Mr. Vance
It was highlighted as an acclaimed nonfiction work that won the 2013 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
"
He's also the author of several acclaimed books, including The Unwinding, An Inner History of the New America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2013.
Saagar Enjeti repeatedly cited the book as a 2013 chronicle of blue‑collar hardships during the Obama years, noting how it foreshadowed the current debt‑laden economy and the political backlash that helped usher in Trump. Marshall also highlighted it as a worthwhile read for listeners seeking context on the nation’s decline narrative. The hosts emphasized its relevance for understanding today’s economic and cultural challenges.
Highly Recommended
Episode: 2/8/23: State Of The Union 2023
The book, published in 2013, was mentioned in the context of a quote from Peter Thiel who made a bet that the country wanted a message of decline in 2012 rather than a message of optimism.
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I think whoever's smart is going to pick up on the vibe that the country wants something negative.
Episode: Stories of Week 6/12: Inflation Numbers, Gun Legis...
It was discussed in the context of the 2011 economy and how many blue-collar workers were struggling with debt and unemployment, foreshadowing the current issues.
"
I read George Packer's book is called the unwinding was actually written in 2013. And it was a real precursor to all of the problems that we have now he specifically spends time all across the country like you know Obama's America at the time and it tells the same stories like man a lot of blue collar people they're just getting they have all this credit card debt housing debt.
Episode: 6/14/22: Market Crash, Crypto Black Monday, Ukrain...
It was discussed as a book that foreshadowed many of the current economic issues, including excessive debt and the inability of many to climb out of financial trouble.
"
I read George Packer's book. It's called The Unwinding. It was actually written in 2013. And it was a real precursor to all of the problems that we have now. He specifically spends time all across the country like in Obama's America at the time. He tells the same story. He's like, man, a lot of blue collar people. They're just getting, they have all this credit card debt, housing debt. Even they lost their homes. They have no ability in order to climb out.
Episode: 1/10/22: Jobs Report, 1/6 Cringe, Ted Cruz, SCOTUS...
It was discussed how the book interviewed people who had been impacted by the Great Recession, and a main theme in the book was how people felt disconnected from Obama's policies and that he didn't understand their struggles. This led to Trump's victory in 2016.
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There was a book I read back in 2014 called The Unwinding and if you think about it, it was written by George Packer.
It was interviewed a bunch of people who had just been whacked by the Great Recession and a consistent theme through all of it was what is Obama talking about? I'm still suffering out here. I gave him a second chance but the script for Trump was written in that book in retrospect is that America was getting hollowed out is that there wasn't a real connect between the White House and more and whenever that happens people go elsewhere real quickly.
We've literally seen this movie before and yet they continue to repeat the same mistake.
Episode: Stories of Week 6/12: Inflation Numbers, Gun Legis...
It was mentioned as a book that highlighted the economic struggles of many Americans during Obama's presidency, foreshadowing current challenges.
"
I read George Packer's book is called the unwinding was actually written in 2013. And it was a real precursor to all of the problems that we have now he specifically spends time all across the country like you know Obama's America at the time and it tells the same stories like man a lot of blue collar people they're just getting they have all this credit card debt housing debt.
Episode: 6/14/22: Market Crash, Crypto Black Monday, Ukrain...
It was discussed as a book that was written in 2013 that was a precursor to the current economic problems, particularly the struggles of blue-collar workers.
"
I read George Packer's book. It's called The Unwinding. It was actually written in 2013. And it was a real precursor to all of the problems that we have now. He specifically spends time all across the country like in Obama's America at the time. He tells the same story. He's like, man, a lot of blue collar people. They're just getting, they have all this credit card debt, housing debt. Even they lost their homes. They have no ability in order to climb out.
Episode: 2/8/23: State Of The Union 2023
The book was mentioned as being a good read and it was used to contextualize Peter Thiel's views on politics and the message of decline.
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I think folks should definitely check out George's 2010s work.
But basically the point of the quote was Peter was saying my contrarian bet is that everyone thinks that people are looking for optimism and a sunny disposition.
Episode: 1/10/22: Jobs Report, 1/6 Cringe, Ted Cruz, SCOTUS...
The book was said to have been written about people who had been negatively impacted by the Great Recession. The speaker said that a consistent theme throughout the book was how people were still suffering and how they felt disconnected from what the president (Obama) was talking about.
"
You know there was a book I read back in 2014 called The Unwinding and if you think about it, it was written by George Packer. It was interviewed a bunch of people who had just been whacked by the Great Recession and a consistent theme through all of it was what is Obama talking about? I'm still suffering out here. I gave him a second chance but the script for Trump was written in that book in retrospect is that America was getting hollowed out is that there wasn't a real connect between the White House and more and whenever that happens people go elsewhere real quickly.
Episode: Stories of Week 6/12: Inflation Numbers, Gun Legis...
It was mentioned in the context of the 2011 economy, serving as a precursor to the current economic problems, illustrating how many blue-collar workers were facing debt and hardship.
"
I read George Packer's book is called the unwinding was actually written in 2013. And it was a real precursor to all of the problems that we have now he specifically spends time all across the country like you know Obama's America at the time and it tells the same stories like man a lot of blue collar people they're just getting they have all this credit card debt housing debt.
Episode: 6/14/22: Market Crash, Crypto Black Monday, Ukrain...
It was discussed as a book that foreshadowed many of the current economic problems, particularly focusing on the struggles of blue-collar workers in the Obama era.
"
I read George Packer's book. It's called The Unwinding.
Episode: 1/10/22: Jobs Report, 1/6 Cringe, Ted Cruz, SCOTUS...
The book was mentioned as being written in 2014 and interviewed a bunch of people who had just been whacked by the Great Recession and a consistent theme through all of it was what is Obama talking about? I'm still suffering out here. I gave him a second chance but the script for Trump was written in that book in retrospect is that America was getting hollowed out is that there wasn't a real connect between the White House and more and whenever that happens people go elsewhere real quickly.
"
There was a book I read back in 2014 called The Unwinding and if you think about it, it was written by George Packer.
It was interviewed a bunch of people who had just been whacked by the Great Recession and a consistent theme through all of it was what is Obama talking about? I'm still suffering out here. I gave him a second chance but the script for Trump was written in that book in retrospect is that America was getting hollowed out is that there wasn't a real connect between the White House and more and whenever that happens people go elsewhere real quickly.
The book was highlighted across three episodes as an insightful look at the deterioration of American communities, the flight of wealth and talent, and growing inequality. Host Preet Bharara and author George Packer both praised it, noting its National Book Award win and recommending it as essential listening alongside related works. The discussion emphasized its relevance for understanding the unfolding social and political landscape of modern America.
Highly Recommended
Episode: America’s Complex Future (with George Packer)
The Unwinding was mentioned as a book written by George Packer that discussed the deterioration of American communities and the flight of wealth and talent to cities and coasts.
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I wrote about it in The Unwinding.
Episode: End of the American Century (with George Packer)
It was recommended to listeners as a companion piece to 'Our Man' due to its related themes. It was referenced in relation to the unraveling of American social fabric, income inequality, and the impact on the political landscape.
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You wrote another great book a few years ago called The Unwinding. Very well received, wonderful book.
I also recommend to listeners but read the whole book first. Our Man and then The Unwinding.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.
