Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire (Amazon,) is about how over the years, Americans have become less rational and more prone to magical thinking.
The author, Kurt Andersen, posits that Americans have self-selected both from a genetic and cultural point of view to believe in fantasies. The rise of social media and the internet has allowed everyone to live in his “own” truth, a fantasy land. He touches upon all weird, non-scientific things that Americans believe to be true, their outlandish religious beliefs, gun ownership and so on.
The main take-away for me was this: a liberal government can keep its populace fed and make sure that the country progresses scientifically and economically. However, it cannot give its citizens purpose. Purpose is something everybody seeks. And if the government cant give it, then religions/cult/tribes will fill the void. And the more vulnerable you are economically, the more you seek out a tribe to be part of.
Read the book!