Hiding in Plain Sight

Sarah Kendzior's "Hiding in Plain Sight" examines Donald Trump's four-decade trajectory from New York real estate developer to president of the United States. The book traces Trump's connections, business dealings, and rise to power through extensive research and documentation. The narrative begins in St. Louis, using the city as a case study for broader American economic decline, before expanding into a wider investigation of power networks and institutional erosion. Each chapter focuses on a specific time period, from the 1980s through 2019, detailing the evolution of political and social dynamics that shaped contemporary America. The book presents Trump not as an anomaly but as the product of long-term systemic changes in American society, integrating perspectives on media, economics, and political transformation. Kendzior, an anthropologist and journalist, draws from her academic background to analyze the intersections of wealth, power, and democracy in modern America. The work stands as both historical analysis and cultural commentary, exploring how transparency can sometimes serve as the most effective form of concealment in political and social systems. The text raises questions about accountability, democracy, and the nature of power in contemporary American society.

Readers describe the book as a detailed chronicle of corruption and authoritarianism in American politics, backed by Kendzior's academic research and investigative journalism. Readers appreciate: - Clear documentation and extensive footnotes - Connection of historical events to present circumstances - Prescient warnings about political developments - Writing style that makes complex topics accessible Common criticisms: - Too much focus on Trump and his associates - Some readers find the tone alarmist - Repetition of points from author's previous book - Limited solutions or action items proposed Ratings: Goodreads: 4.29/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (1,900+ ratings) Sample reader comment: "Like reading a time capsule of events we lived through but couldn't process in real-time" - Goodreads reviewer Critical comment: "Important information but feels like a collection of blog posts rather than a cohesive narrative" - Amazon reviewer

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🔍 St. Louis-based author Sarah Kendzior began her career studying authoritarian states in Central Asia, giving her unique insight into recognizing similar patterns in American politics. 📚 The book's title "Hiding in Plain Sight" references how many of the events and connections detailed were publicly available information but often overlooked or underreported by mainstream media. 🏛️ Kendzior has a Ph.D. in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis and uses her academic background to analyze cultural shifts through an anthropological lens. 🗞️ Before writing books, she gained prominence through her prescient Twitter threads and articles about Trump's rise, many of which went viral as early as 2015. 🏙️ The author uses her hometown of St. Louis as a microcosm of American decline, showing how the city's transformation from a major economic hub to an area of widespread abandonment parallels national trends.