by David Korten, September 3, 2025
I am putting out this special edition of my newsletter solely to promote the launch of what I believe may prove to be one of the most important and influential history books of our time. It is written by my long-time friend and colleague, Thom Hartmann, a scholar and political commentator possessing a truly extraordinary grasp of modern history and human psychology. The title of his forthcoming book, to be released on September 23, 2025 (you can preorder now from your favorite bookseller) says it all – The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink.
Our nation is in a deep crisis that, in turn, puts the world in deep crisis. We cannot expect the corrupt regime now in power to fix the mess it has had a key role in creating. The mess didn’t just happen with the election of Donald J. Trump. It has been building for decades. The Last American President traces the systemic rotting of our institutions. And it lays out details of the life history and rise to power of one of history’s most corrupt and morally compromised leaders.
Thom has been the nation’s number one progressive talk show host for more than two decades. Our friendship goes back much further. I have known many extraordinary people in my lifetime, but no other has come close to Thom’s grasp of modern history and the defining political issues of our time. And I know of no other colleague with Thom’s remarkable work capacity. He hosts a fact-filled daily 3-hour talk radio show commenting on current news reports on which he is always up to date. In his spare time, he writes best-selling books and deeply insightful articles on a host of diverse topics, always with great detail, expertise, and accuracy.
My wife Fran and I have met with Thom and Louise, his wife and executive producer, many times in varied places in the U.S. and abroad. I have always found Thom relaxed as if he had nothing else to do other than be present in the moment. And as close as our relationship has been, I have never been able to figure out how he manages all his many commitments. I have at times wondered if – in addition to Louise – he has a secret twin or a clone.
Thom’s publisher is Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., which has also been my publisher for the past 30 years. B-K has long been committed to creating a world that works for all. Profits are a reward, not a purpose. With that commitment in mind, Steve Piersanti, B-K’s founder, long-term president/CEO and senior editor, has made generous excerpts from the book available via this link to be freely shared with colleagues for the purpose of promoting this book and getting the widest possible distribution of Thom’s message.
I highly recommend reading the excepts and sharing them. They contain extensive information that even people who closely follow politics and the news will not know. And they can help us all better understand how our country got into the mess we are currently experiencing.
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About the book, in Thom’s own words: See the June 27 edition of The Hartmann Report: “The Broken Man Who’s Breaking America.”