The Age of Grievance

The Age of Grievance: How Resentment is Reshaping America

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Brilliant... Bruni writes with humor, insight, and precision.” —Wall Street Journal • “The best prescription for our redemption.” —The New York Times • “A wise and humane book for our foolish and cruel era.” —Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation

Acclaimed author and longtime New York Times columnist Frank Bruni delivers a sharp and thought-provoking examination of how grievance has become the defining force in modern culture and politics—on both the right and the left.

America has always been shaped by grievance; the nation itself was founded on it. Throughout history, legitimate grievances have driven social progress and necessary change. But today, the lines between justified outrage and petty resentment are blurring. As grievances—big and small, real and perceived—become increasingly entangled, they fuel division and discord.

Bruni explores the consequences of this shift:

• A violent mob storms the U.S. Capitol, rejecting election results.
• Conspiracy theories take hold, spreading misinformation at an alarming rate.
• Media outlets prioritize profit over truth, knowingly peddling falsehoods.
• Universities suppress dissenting voices, stifling debate and intellectual diversity.
• Everyday words and gestures are scrutinized and branded as offensive.

As civility, compromise, and common ground erode, the very fabric of democracy is at risk. The Age of Grievance unpacks how we arrived at this moment and, more importantly, how we can move forward.