Small gift ideas
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Robert Reich
13 min read
The author of this article is Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor under Clinton, prominent economist, and public intellectual. Understanding his background in government, academia, and policy advocacy provides essential context for his perspective on bullies and authoritarianism.
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Dwarfism
11 min read
Reich's memoir centers on his experience being 4'11" tall, and he explicitly connects his physical stature to his life experiences and worldview. Understanding the medical and social aspects of short stature provides context for his personal narrative.
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Authoritarianism
14 min read
Reich describes Trump as an 'authoritarian bully' and frames his book as guidance for combating authoritarianism. Understanding the political science behind authoritarian governance, its characteristics, and historical examples enriches the reader's grasp of his argument.
Friends,
As you may know, I’m very short. I’ve always been very short. I never got taller than 4 feet 11 inches. (And for the last few years, I’ve been shrinking.)
I came up short. As, in many ways, has America. If you needed proof, look no further than Trump.
I’ve written a memoir of my life and times titled Coming Up Short. (To my utter amazement, it briefly became a #1 New York Times bestseller.)
I wrote it to share what I’ve learned about stopping bullies, at a time in American history when we’re dealing with an authoritarian bully who has encouraged bullying throughout the nation and the world.
And to suggest how we combat the bullies in the years ahead, and why I believe so passionately that we will.
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If you wish to give the book as a gift (or keep it for yourself) you can order it here from Bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores, or find it wherever books are sold.
You can order the audiobook here.
While you’re at it, if you want to give a friend or relative a paid gift subscription to this Substack, click here.
You can see “The Last Class,” here. Or host a screening for it, here. Or join our December 8 watchalong here.
And if you’d like free access to my entire Wealth and Poverty course — all 14 90-minute sessions — just click here.
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I wrote Coming Up Short for the same reason I post every day — because I believe in you. I believe in your values. In your thoughtfulness. In your determination to leave this nation and this world a better place.
I believe that together we have a good chance of prevailing.
And I’m immensely grateful for having you as part of this community.
This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.