So David Pakman’s written a book! You know the guy, right? One of the most relentlessly dedicated progressive podcasters around, with a distinctive style & purpose-of-action (I believe he was also one of the earliest in defensive formation?). His unfaltering coverage & opposition to the incorrigible-horror-extravaganza that has dawned/spewed-forth under $ump has garnered him one of the largest online followings & established him as a leading stalwart in the field. He sprang to my attention some years back when researching some of the grimmest & most obscure offending of the $ump Disintegration, with David prepared to carry & dissect some of the rarer threads of fast-flowing criminal splurge pouring out of $ump’s White House sewer (his segments on the “Jane Doe” accuser remain some of the few remnants on these disturbing & credible allegations that have been almost completely purged & retroactively redacted from Youtube).

Pakman has also chosen to limit the majority of his concentration & coverage specifically to $ump & his administration, eschewing much of the concomitant abomination of the day to explicitly focus on “the administrator” & key components & minions from his regime. Although this can sometimes appear frustrating, with crucial & broader areas & events receiving little or no direct coverage from David as a separate subject, his overarching strategy seems to be to focus on “the engine” & “majority enabler” itself, which is of course responsible for so many/much of the prevailing shit-show & crisis.

Another super strength of Pakman’s that will become apparent to those that watch him is that he is an absolute master of communication & language. His expertise in conversation, reasoning & break-downs are exceptional, & hearing him unravel, refute, expose & elucidate on such a badly polluted & disinformation-ravaged-landscape is not just informative but thrilling.

Perhaps the other most notable & frequent opposition of Pakman’s stand is his focus on “disinformation” as a whole, particularly the reductive, highly processed & concocted right-wing variety that we see doing so much dreadful damage online.

David is also keen on a form of “quiet confrontationism”, often going toe-to-toe with critics or ideological adversaries or detractors & calmly dispatching them with factual weaponry (always a joy to watch).

David’s hyper-practical approach appears to prioritise identifying the kernel – & targeting it directly – with the most strategic & informed anecdote, sidestepping any extraneous or attached mire that may be considered secondary or non-critical.

Its an extremely worthy discipline & calculation, especially as so many of the connecting branches are deliberate pitfalls or entrapment constructs to divert, derail or distract away from core offending, criminality or weakness in the opposition.

Sometimes though, & David does occasionally make this mistake, the subjunctive or conterminous phenomena of these issues is the crux itself – & addressing, determining or factoring it in to the conflict – is an important activity rather than summarily dismissing, trivializing or ignoring a pertinent element that needs confronting & which may affect the overall argument or dismantling of the attack.

The desire – which is acute with Pakman – to not enter into “culture wars” territory is palpable, & he is an absolute expert at steering clear of these hazards on both the right & the prosthetic left, although there are rare occasions when this refusal or minimisation plays against his better judgement in my opinion.

All the same, his strength & style of analysis & reporting are unique (not to mention his dogged-consistency, which astoundingly encompasses a gauling seven-day coverage schedule) & he remains one of the strongest proponents of vérité $ump squalor coverage.

So how does the book measure up then?

Well, I am not as amazed as I predicted I would be.

By no means at all is this a poor piece of work, but considering Pakman’s power, I was expecting more.

One particularly potent absentee is Pakman himself – or rather – his personal & vocalised delivery in a verbally communicated format.

This is written word, & so, although brilliant, lacks the kind of limber potency & dynamism of David’s formidable communication & delivery gift.

The literary version is also more formal, & lacks the wry digs & colloquial melding that Pakman adopts in his live shows.

Anyway, this is, essentially, minor, & forgetting the show entirely, how does it perform as a book alone?

Well, its a good & very well written book that operates more like a compendium for mid-level activism & engagement for newer & younger audiences concerned about today’s hellscape.

Cogent, well-balanced & preparatory to task.

Not wanting to generalize too loosely, but I think that it’s a very good book for 15-25-year olds to read particularly, & yes, many others later in life who may have recently become emboldened to act in the face of such escalating extremities & calamity.

A thorough investigation into the origins & denizens of the neo-disinformation extremity this is not, & it’s no Dark Money (Jane Mayer) or Democracy in Chains (Nancy MacLean)… it is way simpler, but it is also way more practical, & I think designed to facilitate & encourage activism/pushback, as well as a better understanding on some of the fundamental perils of modern-day “organised disinformation”.

& to that end, I can only obviously commend & extend credit to the guy.

Not as deep, revelatory or as scrutinizing as I was expecting, but very important for the younger audience (who are inheriting the worst of all of this).

It would make excellent general syllabus material for mid-graders.

Unfortunately, In Krasnov’s modern-day America monstrosity, they’re more likely to prescribe mandatory Mein Kampf reading.

David Pakman, 2025, Beacon Press, 175-pages.