Andrew YangResenhas

I was looking forward to something other than a rehash of what Andrew Yang ran his candidacy on. I would have liked to see more on the alleged coup that was brought up several times. I felt the ending was a little too rushed. It took a few times to get started with this book. If you have nothing else to read, then I guess this would be ok read. But I don't recommend it.

I'm Canadian but we pay a lot of attention to US politics. This book scares the bejeezus out of me as it was probably meant to do.

In this book there are three (male) billionaires contesting the US presidential election. The Republican party's choice is Trump although he is never named. The Democrats have a former governor of Colorado leading the pack. And then there is Cooper Sherman, leader of the independent Maverick Party. It's hard to pin a label on him but his tech background and frequently publicized goal of wanting to "Unfuck America" has earned him support from a wide range of people. His campaign director, Mikey Ricci, tries to curb Cooper's most damaging traits but Cooper insists on, as the director of communications Sarah Ren calls it, "acting like a human being". As the weeks and months proceed, Cooper's campaign gets stronger and his coffers grow. Even a disclosure about his involvement in a swingers club in Chicago fails to damage him. In New York, veteran journalist Martha Kass works as the collater of the New York Times' tip line from home, a demeaning job for someone of her abilities. But she thinks all that could change when she listens to an audio clip sent over the newspaper's secure server that seems to be a recording of high placed military officials planning a coup. Unfortunately, the Times refuses to run the story. Martha, who knew Mikey in college, contacts him to see if he can arrange a leak of the material. Of course, Mikey has the contacts to make this happen and that just improves his candidate's ratine. So much so that a Republican supporter is determined to derail his campaign. Violence breaks out at the presidential debate and interrupts the whole thing. The election that follows is a draw in that no party got enough electoral college votes to be declared the winner. That's when a seldom used constitutional rule takes effect when a contingent election is declared that means the Republican is declared the winner because members of the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, gets to vote for the president.

One thing this book makes clear is just how different the US political system is from Canada's (or many other countries). The US is a constitutional republic, not a democracy, and the voting public has a much different role in the US than it does in a democracy. I am ever so glad that I live in the country I do.

I think this book is a good overview of the challenges facing society as we inevitably automate most manual work, and many aspects of knowledge work.

I expected a greater treatment to the possible downsides of UBI, but Yang does seem to offer it more or less as a panacea for society’s problems.

Overall, I’m intrigued and somewhat convinced, but left wanting more. Recommended read for folks skeptical of the disruptive nature of automation, or folks with a blind faith in free market capitalism.

Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche’s The Last Election is a timely, well-crafted gem of a political thriller that poses an uncomfortably plausible scenario in which America’s democratic system of government could be upended by a rogue rogue third-party populist candidate who just might secure enough electoral votes to upset the balance of the entrenched two-party system. The authors deftly incorporate facets of American political tactics and trends into the story in smart, provocative ways. Highly recommended, particularly for political junkies.

This was a great book. Very apocalyptic in its approach to what it thinks is happening currently in America. It was fiction but is still set in current times and uses many media names etc that you will be familiar with.

No spoilers so- if you find politics, elections, and news media interesting this was an interesting perspective in 'how the sausage is made' and 'how things might go badly'. I thought it was well written and interesting with a great timeline to the election countdown going.

I gave it four stars but would probably have given 4.25 if I could give partial stars.

I received an arc in the hope of an honest review.

every so often a novelist comes along who needs to warn us of the danger we face when faced with apathetic, or worse voters under the spell of a demigod promising everything and delivering nothing. By close adherence to current events the authors paint a horrifyingly believable scenario of democracy in the US coming to an end in the 2024 elections. Sinclair Lewis, in 1935, watching European political outcomes saw much the same trend in US politics. Philip Roth saw much the same danger in political trends in post W.W.ll America in his excellent novel, "The Plot Against America". In those times, and now in ours, the message is clearly that voters should not be deceived by candidates offering solutions that are not solutions. Voters have a tough, demanding job with every election. Learn the issues, dissect the positions taken by the candidates, ask tough questions, and look at both sides of the issue before voting.

Scary, realistic, and dark are the words that I would use to describe this novel covering the Presidential election of 2024. A third-party candidate, Cooper Sherman of the Maverick party, enters the fray and steadily gains support from disenchanted Republicans and Democrats, along with the usual band of third-party believers which include idealists, non-conformists, and even hippies. Author Andrew Yang, an actual Presidential candidate in the early part of the 2020 election, adds his inside knowledge and insight to this frighteningly real novel. Yang and co-author, Stephen Marche, weave a believable story with many characters about the effect that a viable third-party candidate could have on our upcoming Presidential election. After reading this novel you'll quickly find yourself researching the facts behind a "contingent election".

Heavy in rough language, sexual situations, and realism, "The Last Election" will make you think (and worry) about our country's future.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway program. This is my fair and honest review of the book½

"The Last Election" by Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche is a political thriller set in the not too distant 2024 presidential election. This well written novel delves into the possibility of what our future would be like if our country found itself with a strong third-party presidential candidate. At times, the plot can appear bizarre, but quite probable. I love when a novel really makes its readers think, and this one definitely did that! I feel that Andrew Yang's past experience as a presidential candidate added a lot of insight. If you are looking for either an entertaining read, or a read that makes you think about the possibility of our political future, I would highly recommend "The Last Election".

The Last Election, by Stephen Marche and former presidential candidate Andrew Young, is an informed and insightful look into big-time politics as it is playing out in very contemporary America. The plot looks at how a significant third party might affect the next presidential election. The book seems to have trouble deciding what it wants to be. It has elements of a straight political thriller, then can’t resist satirizing our strained political process. The thriller aspect is muted by polemic passages on the rationale for a third party. You have to wonder if the arguments have more to do with one of the authors playing footsie with the No Labels Party than with furthering the plot. And satire is a tough row to hoe these days – “you can’t make this stuff up.”

The novel might have more successful as a straight roman à clef, using the current cast of characters dominating the news running up to the next election. Political junkies will enjoy it as it is, the rest of us, not so much.

Exciting political thriller, relevant to our current times. A third-party candidate is gaining popular support and threatening to derail our two-party system. A journalist receives a tip about a coup by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Fast paced, but a lot of characters to keep track of, which is sometimes a down side. One of the authors is a former presidential candidate so has insider knowledge of the political process.½

“The Last Election” by Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche is a fictional look at how the 2024 presidential election could play out. I found it a very interesting book. Definitely a book to read if you are interested in politics and the dysfunctional system we find ourselves in leading into the 2024 presidential election.

The story is about the 3rd Party candidacy of the newly founded Maverick Party. The Maverick Party only has a candidate in the presidential election. One of their campaign slogans is to “Unfuck America”. They are aiming for the youth vote and the independents that are fed up with the extreme left Democratic candidate and the far right GOP candidate. All three candidates are wealthy billionaires. Cooper Sherman made his fortune in the tech industry. He is the youngest of the three candidates, but he is still 64 years old. The issue of the candidate’s ages is part of the story line where even Cooper has a hard time keeping up the pace required for the campaign.

Another story line within the book is the issue of the mainstream media displaying its bias for the Democrat and the alt-right media displaying its bias for the GOP. A reporter working the tip line of the New York Times receives a tip containing audio files of senior government officials discussing how to handle an election where none of the candidates wins the Electoral College. Essentially a Contingent Election that is dealt with by Article 12 of the Constitution. This has only happened one other time in the US history and occurred in 1824. The House votes for President with each state getting one vote. The Senate votes for the Vice President with one vote per state.

The New York Times refuses to run a story about this group of senior government officials and their discussions about how to act in case of a Contingent Election and if they should take over leadership of the country in a coup. The reporter struggles with how to get the story out to the American public so that they are aware of the potential for coup by senior government officials. The rise of the influencers on YouTube, etc. becomes a part of the story on how to make the information public.

Violence dominates the nominating conventions for all three parties by supporters of the other parties. The presidential debate does not occur due to violence at the site.

I will end my discussion of the story lines within the novel to avoid spoiling the ending. I think anyone interested in a way that the 2024 Election could play out, especially if a 3rd Party enters the race, would like this book. It has enough information to support your opinion of how you think about the various parties, the media, and they dysfunctional system we currently have in Washington. It does a good job of demonizing everyone to some extent.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway program. This is my fair and honest review of the book.

spec-fiction, political-thriller, secrets, lies, intrigue, news-media, newspapers, satire, hyperbole, obsession, election-insanity, contemporary, TV-personality, candidates, mud-slinging, celebrities, factions, fiction, sardonic*****

This is a fiction about what could be the last election in US history. Think of it as a cautionary/morality tale if you wish, but I pretty much laughed my sox off at its absurdities and spot on behavioral antics. Can't assess the longevity of it because there are so many current celebs and "influencers" endemic to the tale, but I really enjoyed it.
Audio is expertly performed by Jonathan Todd Ross who is a filmmaker, Voiceover Artist, Narrator.
I was delighted with my good fortune! First I won a print copy from a Goodreads Giveaway/Akashic Books (I shared it with another bibliophile because of current vision issues). THEN after I had requested it, I received a temporary audio from RB Media/Recorded Books via NetGalley. Many thanks to all!

If you enjoy politics and intrigue than this is the book to read. However it was not my cup of tea. Too much like turning on the news network (pick one) and listening to what is going on in the world of politics. There were a few bright spots in the book that made me think it was getting better but just as quickly it was gone. It changed subjects so fast that I would have to go back to see if I missed something. I just didn't enjoy this book.

I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an honest review.

The authors posit the current crisis in political governance as doomed to failure and as a result the military engages in a coup during the 2024 American presidential election. The spoiler is a third party candidate that upsets the balance between the two major parties vying for the American electorate and creating a crisis in the Electoral College.

One reason that the plot seems so far fetched is that the FBI in 2016 and the CIA in 2020 already substantially interfered with presidential elections. The plot which suspects a military coup seems out of touch with the already substantial military-industrial complex that exists as well as the overtly woke nature of the US Pentagon. The Electoral College is not to blame for any of the political conditions that the authors suspect and indeed mitigated against election interference as it was originally conceived.

I have no insight into what happens behind the scenes at a reality TV show, but I suspect much of the treachery and machinations that happen in this story are pretty accurate. The longer I read, the more I felt like a silent player, standing by the wall, watching first hand what was going on. You get to see several of the characters at their worst, their rawest, and at their most insecure. The flashing back to their home lives certainly helps readers understand what motivated them, particularly the two main characters Sabine and Yoona. While all six characters are of Asian descent, each seems to handle that differently. It's an overall extremely satisfying book.

The book was a great read, some of the info I'd already picked up in Ford's Rise of the Robots. But I especially liked Yang's creative solutions. That's thinking outside the box! That's what America/Americans need! If AY doesn't get elected as president, he and others with the same passion and creativity, need to be involved in government in someway. These are the guys we should be listening to - not the self-serving clowns that get sent year after year to represent.

Prior to reading this book, I have heard Andrew Yang’s arguments for him to be President of the United States. I don’t think he has much of a chance to be nominated but I give him enormous credit for seeing what will happen in the future.Particularly when it comes to jobs and employment given all the automation and technology improvements that are pending.

This book serves as Yang’s crystal ball as he gazes into today’s trends and foresees a future where there will be tremendous upheaval in the job markets including those that appear safe now.

It’s a bit of an eye opening book as you don’t hear much discussion or debate among Presidential campaigns or political leaders as to what the immediate future may look like.

Listed below are some of my highlighted notes from the book:

Today 40% of American children are born outside of married households.

Right now some of the smartest people in the country are trying to figure out how to replace you with an overseas worker, a cheaper version of you, or, increasingly, a widget, software program, or a robot.

The top one percent have accrued 52% of the real income growth in America since 2009.

CoStar, a commercial real estate firm, estimated in 2017 that roughly 310 out of the nation’s 1300 shopping malls are at high risk of losing an anchor store, which typically begins a mall’s steep decline.

So the incentives to adopt automated truck driving are massive – – tens of billions of dollars saved annually plus thousands of lives.

Amazon now controls 43% of total e-commerce in the United States. It has a market capitalization of $435 billion it is virtually impossible for any brick and mortar retail to compete against Amazon on price.

I met with a technologist who works with one of the major financial institutions. He estimated the 30% of the bank’s home office workers – – more than 30,000 employees – – were engaged in clerical tasks transferring information from one system to another, and he believed that their roles would be automated within the next five years.

In 2015, a law professor pointed out that Yale spent more of the previous year on private equity managers managing its endowment – – $480 million – – then it spent on tuition assistance, fellowships, and prizes for students – – $170 million.

It's not that professors are getting paid more. It's not even all the new buildings and facilities. It's the universities have become more bureaucratic and added layers of administrators.

Wow. Stronger on identifying problems than presenting solutions, but it does a pretty good job of each. The unanswered question is “how do we implement these solutions” (UBI, single payer), and how do we avoid the seemingly universal horrible execution quality of anything the US Government does. Yang’s answer would be “vote for me”, and if I could vote in the US, I’d seriously consider it.

What a shame, I think he would've been an awesome president.

This is an excellent read. It chilled me to my bones. I don't think any of his solutions will work.

What I can say to the Zuckerbergs, the Bezos', the Pages, the Ellisons, the Musks, and the minuscule percentage of the population who hoard all the wealth on this overcrowded world can be said in one picture.



Yes, I know you are prepping for it. So was she.

I am an Andrew Yang fan and like his ideas and constructive, original thinking, but this book irked me as it went on. Maybe *smart* people are *already* building things and just maybe over-cultivated, elite-sheep smart people are not particularly suited for building businesses. That said, he makes the very important point that as a society we should not be funneling our best and brightest to fields like finance and consulting that take more than they give back; our educational system should be harnessing their abilities to solve problems.

The genius of Andrew Yang is something that, I think, society does not yet appreciate. I love this book because it details the reasons why Andrew Yang holds the beliefs that he does, supporting his claims with research and surmounting evidence. This book is essentially Andrew Yang talking to the reader about the problems that America is facing - these problems will continue to degrade the state of the "normal" American moving into the future. I highly recommend this book to all people because it is important to have an educated populous. And since the state of the political climate is so divisive, having well-rounded ideas is something that a lot of people cherish. Andrew Yang's message is very clear, things are changing, for the worse, for the average American citizen, and now is the time to fix it.