Thomas Frank

The author ' s witty 2005 book " What ' s the Matter With Kansas? " examined why people seem to vote against their economic interests. Frank ' s latest is " The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule. "

My Five Most Important Books
1. "The Great War and Modern Memory" by Paul Fussell. Addresses the two great subjects of them all: memory and war.

2. "The Culture of Narcissism" by Christopher Lasch. It's guided me on everything from advertising to the rebel right.

3. "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life" by Richard Hofstadter. Every battle of our culture wars is just a footnote to this book.

4. "Which Side Are You On?" by Thomas Geoghegan. Ironically, the best labor writer ever on labor's decline.

5. "U.S.A." by John Dos Passos. Choked with politics and experimentation, a near-forgotten masterpiece.