Waldman and Schaller claim that their book is not an attack on rural whites but a cautionary tale. Yet the book is full of strident criticisms and caricatures of white rural Americans as uncouth, intolerant radicals who view liberals, elites, and other races and religions with bitterness. The authors conclude by purporting to offer advice to these benighted souls, urging them to stop blaming America’s ills on outside forces or coastal elite liberals and instead to create a political movement that captures their genuine interests, which would include rural blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans. There is some truth here; just like their European counterparts, rural Americans should channel their frustrations into something politically productive.

For the most part, though, Waldman and Schaller use cherry-picked data and mocking language to heap scorn on white rural Americans. The problems begin with their book’s salacious title. What do they mean by the “rural” in “rural rage”? And how is this rage different from the rage that stems from poverty, disagreements over values, or generational divides?