The Enablers: How Team Trump Flunked the Pandemic and Failed America

by Barbara Kellerman

The COVID-19 pandemic will forever be remembered as a pivotal event in American history. Written by one of the world's foremost experts on leadership and followership, this book centers on the first six months of the pandemic and the crises that ran rampant. The chapters focus less on the former president, Donald Trump, than on his followers: on people complicit in his miserable mismanagement of the crisis in public health. Barbara Kellerman provides clear and compelling evidence that Trump was not entirely to blame for everything that went wrong. Many others were responsible including his base, party, administration, inner circle, Republican elites, members of the media, and even medical experts. Far too many surrendered to the president's demands, despite it being obvious his leadership was fatally flawed. The book testifies to the importance of speaking truth to power, and a willingness to take risks properly to serve the public interest.

• ISBN13: 9781108838320
• Publish Date: 19 August 2021 (first published 4 August 2021)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Cambridge University Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 330
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Enablers is a look at the US Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health policy, and lack of leadership which has led to more than 600,000 deaths in the USA alone. Due out 31st Aug 2021 from Cambridge University Press, it's 330 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a layman accessible book, written by a policy and leadership academic with impeccable credentials (from Harvard, 3x Fulbright scholar, with a doctorate from Yale and decades of experience on the dynamics of power between leaders and their followers). I was fascinated by how clearly and early on in the text, the author clearly states that although Donald Trump was -a- significant piece on the playing board, rushing to lay -everything- at his feet alone is too convenient and gives an incomplete understanding of the whole "perfect storm" of incompetence and misunderstanding which led to the situation and fallout we see today. There was real and lasting damage done and it wasn't all on Trump.

The author makes her points and builds up her arguments meticulously with copious annotations. I had to read the book in small sessions because I really found myself getting angry at the utter senselessness of the situation and the mind blowing amount of anguish that the "cult of personality" unleashed on millions of people who were simply trying to live their lives (and many of whom lost their lives).

I was impressed by the author's neutrality. There's nothing sensationalist or muckraking in her writing. She chooses her sources very very carefully for their objectively factual basis and neutrality. If I hadn't been so seethingly angry for most of the read, I'd have likely thought the subject was a bit dry and academic. (I'm a science nerd, not a politics/policy/business nerd).

As it is, there's more than enough blame to go around and smarter people than I will be spending many decades sorting it out.

Four and a half stars. This would be a good choice for library acquisitions, book clubs, fans of business/politics/policy, and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.