This book had a lot of potential to be a useful, broad look at fascism and how it arises across history and the world.

Instead, it was poorly organized and rooted in capitalist and imperialist propoganda. I was hoping for better critical thinking from a former Secretary of State, but I also started this book back in January which was when I started, in earnest, my quest for knowledge in the political realm.

Yes, it took me 11 months to finish this book. The writing itself is terribly dry and never once was I looking forward to turning the page. The poor organization of ideas, particularly in the first half of the book, was really challenging to overcome.

For all of Albright's acknowledgements of fascism taking root during economic hardship combined with social and cultural change, she never once examines capitalism's role.

There is also overtly anti-communist ideology as well, pitting communism as the opposite of democracy and freedom. The "both-sides"ing of the issues was also grating. It was telling that in her worst-case scenarios, the right rising wasn't labeled as fascism but the left rising was explicitly labeled as fascism. Doubly interesting since this was written during Trump's first term, and now almost every part of her "dramatization" of the worst-case scenario has now come to fruition.

Lastly, it also is pro-US imperialism with Albright touting that the US interfering with elections is different (acceptable) from other countries doing it because it's under the guise of promoting democracy, therefore it's okay to do. In the same breath, she's not afraid to say that Russia isn't allowing other countries to operate with their own autonomy.