The Big Fail: What the Pandemic Revealed About Who America Protects and Who It Leaves Behind
Joe Nocera, Bethany McLeanIn 2020, the novel coronavirus pandemic made it painfully clear that the U.S. could not adequately protect its citizens. Millions of Americans suffered—and over a million died—in less than two years, while government officials blundered; prize-winning economists overlooked devastating trade-offs; & elites escaped to isolated retreats, unaffected by & even profiting from the pandemic.
Why & how did America, in a catastrophically enormous failure, become the world leader in COVID deaths? In this page-turning economic, political, & financial history, veteran journalists Bethany McLean & Joe Nocera offer fresh & provocative answers. With laser-sharp analysis & deep sourcing, they investigate both what really happened when governments ran out of PPE due to snarled supply chains & the shock to the financial system when the world's biggest economy stumbled. They zero in on the effectiveness of wildly polarized approaches, with governors Andrew Cuomo of New York & Ron DeSantis of Florida taking infamous turns in the spotlight. And they trace why thousands died in hollowed-out hospital systems & nursing homes run by private equity firms to “maximize shareholder value."
In the tradition of the authors’ previous landmark exposés, The Big Fail is an expansive, insightful account on what the pandemic did to the economy & how American capitalism has jumped the rails—& is essential reading to understand where we’re going next.
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Bethany McLean is a journalist. She has co-authored multiple bestselling books, including The Smartest Guys in the Room with Peter Elkind.
Joe Nocera is a columnist for The Free Press. He wrote the hit podcast The Shrink Next Door.