While the news media, politicians, both political parties and conspiracy theory groups are destabilizing America, we often lose sight of how we unwittingly contribute to the hysteria as individuals. In the process, we lose our ability to find optimism, opportunities and meaning. Fortunately, it is still possible to learn from history and to regain one’s agency, self-empowerment and life purpose.

In Addictive Ideologies, Dr. Emily Bashah, a clinical psychologist, and Paul Johnson, entrepreneur and former mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, offer a word of caution. Their belief—that today’s world of runaway identity politics, nationalism and cancel culture is setting the stage for a loss of individual agency and liberty—keenly shows why we can’t take democracy and civility for granted.

Dr. Bashah tells the harrowing story of the persecution of Jews in Iraq by Saddam Hussein and the Ba’ath Party through her family’s own personal experiences. Building on Dr. Bashah’s powerful historical context, Paul Johnson uses his own mayoral experiences to chart a path for the future that can avoid similar atrocities. This book draws upon an understanding of societal divisions and clinical and social psychology to show the real power we have to promote constructive change.

By merging insights from two widely disparate worldviews, Dr. Bashah and Paul Johnson show that genocide isn’t the result of just a few bad men, and tyranny isn’t only caused by one charismatic leader. Both require hundreds of thousands of people to ignore reality, and it’s our responsibility as Americans to stay vigilant so that we can protect our families and loved ones against the myriad dangers of addictive ideology.