{"product_id":"the-man-who-sold-the-world-ronald-reagan-and-the-betrayal-of-main-street-america-9781568584423","title":"The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America","description":"Since Ronald Reagan left office -- and particularly after his death -- his shadow has loomed large over American politics: Republicans and many Democrats have waxed nostalgic, extolling the Republican tradition he embodied, the optimism he espoused, and his abilities as a communicator. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This carefully calibrated image is complete fiction, argues award-winning journalist William Kleinknecht. The Reagan presidency was epoch shattering, but not -- as his propagandists would have it -- because it invigorated private enterprise or made America feel strong again. His real legacy was the dismantling of an eight-decade period of reform in which working people were given an unprecedented sway over our politics, our economy, and our culture. Reagan halted this almost overnight. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the tradition of Thomas Frank's \u003ci\u003eWhat's the Matter with Kansas?\u003c\/i\u003e, Kleinknecht explores middle America -- starting with Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois -- and shows that as the Reagan legend grows, his true legacy continues to decimate middle America.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWilliam Kleinknecht\u003c\/b\u003e is a veteran crime correspondent for the \u003ci\u003eNewark Star-Ledger\u003c\/i\u003e. He previously covered the crime beat for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Daily News\u003c\/i\u003e. The winner of awards from the Associated Press and the American Society of Professional Journalists, he has contributed to \u003ci\u003eAmerican Journalism Review, National Law Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eBoston Phoenix\u003c\/i\u003e. The author of \u003ci\u003eNew Ethnic Mobs: The Changing Face of Organized Crime in America\u003c\/i\u003e, he lives in Glen Rock, New Jersey.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bold Type Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50505229566226,"sku":"9781568584423","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_c0157002-a302-4941-bbe0-e5774e3245ca.jpg?v=1730835861","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-man-who-sold-the-world-ronald-reagan-and-the-betrayal-of-main-street-america-9781568584423","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}