The Big Fail

What the Pandemic Revealed About Who America Protects and Who It Leaves Behind

By: Joe Nocera, Bethany McLean

Narrated by: Joe Nocera, Bethany McLean

From the collaborators behind the modern business classic All the Devils are Here comes a damning indictment of American capitalism—and the leaders that left us brutally unprepared for a global pandemic

In 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; and elites escaped to isolated retreats, unaffected by and even profiting from the pandemic.

Why and how did America, in a catastrophically enormous failure, become the world leader in COVID deaths? In this page-turning economic, political, and financial history, veteran journalists Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera offer fresh and provocative answers. With laser-sharp analysis and deep sourcing, they investigate both what really happened when governments ran out of PPE due to snarled supply chains and the shock to the financial system when the world's biggest economy stumbled. They zero in on the effectiveness of wildly polarized approaches, from governor Andrew Cuomo's lockdowns to governor Ron DeSantis's insistence on keeping Florida open under the guidance of scientist Jay Bhattacharya. And they trace why thousands died in hollowed-out hospital systems and 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 and how American capitalism has jumped the rails—and is essential reading to understand where we’re going next.

Powerful

Joe and Bethany always come with a stockpile of facts, and let the reader reach their own conclusion.

Eye opening

I liked the way it was explained and how we weren’t able to think for ourself and say no to the mandates that controlled our lives It was Stalinesque

nonpartisan and fair

The book does a great job of breaking down the institutional barriers to an appropriate COVID response. Good retrospective that I hope our officials use to prepare for the next outbreak.

Plenty of blame to go around

A fair and balanced analysis of the pandemic IMO. I learned a lot from the information conveyed. A good listen, and well performed by both authors.

Enlightening

Wow, thoroughly researched in its A political presentation of a deeply politicized topic and time period in our world. Much appreciated the presentation of balanced view points!