An anthropologist, Richardson persuasively explores the impact that growing up and living in an increasingly “hyper-individualistic” society has on careers, family life, personal happiness, and more. He examines contemporary tendencies toward loneliness, weaker friendships, over-consumption, and the costs of the “freedom to ignore the past.” He does not promise academic rigor, and draws heavily on his own experience of neurodivergence creating challenges in navigating “the confusion and ambiguity” of shifting societal rules. But as he considers telling examples like the rise of potlucks, the decline of formal club membership, and the waning influence of elders on young people, Richardson takes welcome pains to avoid nostalgia, and he acknowledges when he’s generalizing. Richardson’s a shrewd, witty, sometimes outraged observer who urges readers to approach individualistic impulses more critically.

Richardson’s life and anecdotes from interviewees illustrate his most striking arguments, such as the peculiarly American brand of individualism feeding the belief that “failures, traumas, and tragedy (whether failed relationships, getting conned abroad, or old-fashioned physical abuse)” are personal outcomes whose social context “fades into the margins of our moral memory.” The book sprawls some, but the strongest sections—like a consideration of snack culture, the erosion of meal culture, and the rise of obesity—dazzle.

Takeaway: Sprawling, dazzling exploration of the costs of American hyper-individualism.

Comparable Titles: Robert D. Putnam; Peter Callero’s The Myth of Individualism.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A