Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.
That Used To Be Us provides a stark look at the global geo-economic landscape and where the United States is currently positioned in it. The authors provide a very unbiased, take-no-prisoners assessment not only of where our country is and how we got there but also where we are headed if we cannot summon the collective national will to quit fighting each other and start working together to regain our position "in the world we created."
The members all agreed this was a very worthwhile, if difficult, selection. Each member could readily name at least one fact in the book that stood out for them. There was a very lively and friendly discussion about the the views and solutions presented. Several members did plan to recommend the book to others, but some members felt their circle of reading friends would only read books that entertained. When asked if the "happy ending" proposed by the authors would be fiction or non-fiction, most members felt Americans would, in the end, do what needs to be done. A few members felt more conflicted about whether the country would find a way to come together and agree on the the changes that require both a political and social solution.
