How Are We Doing, America?
On the eve of the big birthday, we gathered insights on democracy's past and future.
Tomorrow, the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, and as much as we like a good party, milestones like this are also an important time to take stock. So how are we doing, America? This week, we heard from authors who looked back at the nation’s origins and ahead to its uncertain future. And while the verdict may be mixed, these big thinkers all agree that the country’s story is still being written.
Get a curated selection of the best new nonfiction sent right to your door.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Podcast
Are you in the mood to celebrate America’s 250th birthday?
“We’re entering our 250th birthday, and we’re not quite in the mood for a birthday party. We’ve been tearing ourselves apart.” That’s what Walter Isaacson told Rufus when they sat down last year. But, he says, it doesn’t have to be that way. “Let’s use this birthday party as a chance to try to heal some of the divides.”
Walter’s latest book is The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. That sentence? “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Yes, it’s eloquent, but more than that, it gave the United States a mission statement, one that we are still striving — fitfully, imperfectly — to meet. With America’s 250th birthday just a few days away, we think it’s the perfect time to revisit this conversation with Walter about how that sentence came to be written, what it meant to the founders, and why it still matters today. Check out our conversation on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or watch it on YouTube.
Book Bite of the Week
Can AI save democracy?
Just seven percent of young Americans see our democracy as healthy. Political violence is on the rise, and people are more willing to marry someone of another religion than another political party. Enter AI. Recent headlines warn of brain fry from AI use and an AI apocalypse on par with nuclear war. It could seem we are living in the worst of times. But Beth Simone Noveck has spent the last three years building AI tools with students and communities, and those results and victories paint an encouraging, though cautious, picture of AI’s possibilities.
Beth has worked on and written about how we solve our hardest problems from the White House to 10 Downing Street to the German Chancellery and served as New Jersey’s first Chief AI Strategist. She is also a professor at Northeastern University. Pick up a copy of her new book, Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy or check out her key insights on the Next Big Idea app.
Introducing the First Look Club — our early-reviewer program for the most curious readers. Members get free advance copies of standout new books before they hit shelves, read them first, and help decide which ones we champion next. There’s no cost and no catch. Sign up and we’ll email you the moment new books open up.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Daily Podcast
Is the American Revolution over yet?
The American Revolution remains unfinished. The fragile experiment launched in 1776 now confronts transformative political, economic, and technological forces that raise urgent questions about the future of the Republic. Jonathan Turley is a professor at George Washington University Law School, litigator, and legal analyst. His new book is Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. Pick up a copy on Amazon or listen to his big ideas on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This edition of Book of the Day is sponsored by Fora, a travel agency platform designed for entrepreneurs who want to build and scale their own travel business. Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/idea
🎉 Happy Publication Week! 🎉
The following Next Big Idea Club Must-Read authors get to celebrate the publication of their books today--congratulations to them all! 📖 Join us in reading and discussing these exciting new releases:
Julia Angwin & Ami Fields-Meyer, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear
Lixing Sun, On the Origin of Sex: The Weird and Wonderful Science of Reproduction