In Defense of Elitism, Joel Stein
In Defense of Elitism, Joel Stein
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In Defense of Elitism
Why I'm Better Than You and You are Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book

Author: Joel Stein

Narrator: Joel Stein

Unabridged: 7 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/22/2019

Synopsis

From Thurber finalist and former star Time columnist Joel Stein comes a "brilliant exploration" (Walter Isaacson) of America's political culture war and a hilarious call to arms for the elite.

"I can think of no one more suited to defend elitism than Stein, a funny man with hands as delicate as a baby full of soft-boiled eggs." —Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The night Donald Trump won the presidency, our author Joel Stein, Thurber Prize finalist and former staff writer for Time Magazine, instantly knew why. The main reason wasn't economic anxiety or racism. It was that he was anti-elitist. Hillary Clinton represented Wall Street, academics, policy papers, Davos, international treaties and the people who think they're better than you. People like Joel Stein. Trump represented something far more appealing, which was beating up people like Joel Stein.

In a full-throated defense of academia, the mainstream press, medium-rare steak, and civility, Joel Stein fights against populism. He fears a new tribal elite is coming to replace him, one that will fend off expertise of all kinds and send the country hurtling backward to a time of wars, economic stagnation and the well-done steaks doused with ketchup that Trump eats.

To find out how this shift happened and what can be done, Stein spends a week in Roberts County, Texas, which had the highest percentage of Trump voters in the country. He goes to the home of Trump-loving Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams; meets people who create fake news; and finds the new elitist organizations merging both right and left to fight the populists. All the while using the biggest words he knows.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mike on October 14, 2019

I'm not sure how well I'd get along with most anyone in this book, the author included. Most of them seem all right enough though, despite some big disagreements. My biggest problem with the book is the idea that populism = Donald Trump and going with your gut, and that elitism = treasuring facts an......more

Goodreads review by John on December 17, 2024

For a self-claimed elite, Joel Stein lacks insight or even a good acerbic wit. He's like the Jimmy Fallon of humor: I grin slightly out of politeness but won't remember anything tomorrow. Or maybe Stein is like a Subway sandwich. Will I eat a Subway sandwich? Sure. Do I ever desire a Subway sandwich......more

Goodreads review by Adam on October 17, 2019

Twenty-nineteen America: some of the country wonders what the hell happened, and how the hell we got to this point. Others wonder what took so damn long. ‘The real struggle for America is not between Democrats and Republicans, but between the mainstream American… populists and the ruling political e......more

Goodreads review by Joshua on November 09, 2019

About a decade ago, I received an email from Joel Stein. It was suspicious as it was from a Yahoo address but he sold himself as "The" Joel Stein so I read on. The first thing "Joel" did was point out that we overlapped at Stanford (he had done some research). Of course, he was an undergraduate and I......more

Quotes

"With this indispensable book, Joel Stein firmly establishes himself as the Ted Nugent of elitism."—--Andy Borowitz, New York Times bestselling author and writer of The Borowitz Report

"Every paragraph of this book will make you laugh, but it will also (I promise) change the way you think. Joel has written a brilliant exploration of the supposed divide between elites and populists, cleverly disguised as a humorous personal excursion. Like Don Quixote he forays into perilous territory, his lance at his side, and what he finds will surprise you. Deeply reported and poignant, with a light touch of sweet self-awareness, his journey can help us all take our minds to a better place."—--Walter Isaacson, the New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo Da Vinci and Steve Jobs

"I can think of no one more suited to defend elitism than Stein, a funny man with hands as delicate as a baby full of soft-boiled eggs."—--Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

"[Stein] investigates the contemporary political landscape with a gimlet eye and plenty of humor in this deep dive into our cultural divide."—Town and Country

"In this hilarious refereeing of the culture wars, former Time columnist Stein roams America studying wealthy, Ivy league-educated, conference-attending elites and their populist detractors...Stein's excellent reportage keeps the ideology light and is full of one-liners...that generously skew everyone. The result is an insightful, uproarious take on America's political divide."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"With his smart, self-deprecating humor, former Time columnist Stein investigates the correlation between the rise of populism and the delegitimization of expertise... In a world that seems so fragile, Stein makes a witty case for trained and trustworthy people running it."—The National BookReview

"Joel Stein is a condescending bastard, but he's also very funny, insightful and correct. This book is a crucial argument for the importance of expertise in this world that increasingly rejects it. As Stein points out, it may feel good to go with the gut or follow popular opinion, but it does have its downsides. Like, for instance, causing a planetary apocalypse."—--AJ Jacobs, the New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All

"In these troubled times, we, as a nation, desperately need somebody to bring us together. Instead, we have Joel Stein, and this brilliantly funny book. So let's let somebody else unite us, while we let Joel Stein entertain the hell out of us."—--Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and bestselling author of Dave Barry Turns 40

"Joel Stein makes a case for elitism over populism, but, contra what you might expect based on the subtitle, he does so without being condescending, without being smug...One of the most nuanced and introspective takes on populism post-2016 election, with Stein's typical humorous, easy to read style making the subject matter all the more accessible."—Washington Free Beacon

"How can someone be so erudite and so funny at the same time? Read this book, be deeply offended by how much you laugh, then get yourself a chili dog to cleanse your intellectual palate. Then read it again. It's hilarious."
—Aisha Tyler, comedian, actress, and New York Times bestselling author

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