Kill Switch by Adam Jentleson

With all of news lately about the procedures related to filibuster and reconciliation, interested readers may wish to turn to KILL SWITCH by Adam Jentleson. This recent work of non-fiction is subtitled “The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy.” Jentleson, former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid and a political commentator on MSNBC, notes that “the modern Senate guarantees a minority of predominately white conservatives the ability to impose their will.” His view is most assuredly biased, but he acknowledges that Republicans and Democrats are to blame for the “grind of relentless gridlock” as the “Senate’s minority protections have been inflated into tools of minority domination.” In this well-researched and documented text, Jentleson offers suggestions for reform while providing important historical context and background information on the history of the Senate, with quotes ranging from James Madison to James Baldwin. KILL SWITCH received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.