Delirium: The Politics of Sex in America - Paperback

by Nancy L. Cohen (Author)

"Perhaps if the Pill had never been invented, American politics would be very different today," Nancy L. Cohen writes in her prescient new book, Delirium: The Politics of Sex in America

The 2012 election was supposed to be about the economy, but over the last few months it turned into a debate about sex and women's rights. In Delirium, Cohen takes us on a gripping journey through the confounding and mysterious episodes of our recent politics to explain how we and why we got to this place. Along the way she explores such topics as why Bill Clinton was impeached over a private sexual affair; how George W. Bush won the presidency by stealth; why Hillary lost to Obama; why John McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate; and what the 2012 presidential contest tells us about America today. She exposes the surprising role of right-wing women in undermining women's rights, as well as explains how liberal men were complicit in letting it happen. Cohen uncovers the hidden history of an orchestrated, well-financed, ideologically powered shadow movement to turn back the clock on matters of gender equality and sexual freedom and how it has played a leading role in fueling America's political wars. Delirium tells the story of this shadow movement and how we can restore common sense and sanity in our nation's politics.

Author Biography

Nancy L. Cohen is a historian and author of four books, including the widely acclaimed Delirium: The Politics of Sex in America and The Reconstruction of American Liberalism. Her writing on American politics has appeared in the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, Rolling Stone, and other publications. She has taught politics and history at Occidental College, UCLA, and Cal State Long Beach. Cohen serves as a commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission for Women. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.