Probing the psyche of the American people, this extended essay examines how the country' s mindset has changed during the tumultuous presidency of George W. Bush. The investigation draws on individual experiences as well as factual reporting, melding the personal and the political to capture the real mood of a powerful nation. Full of bold insights and brash honesty, this revealing study presents Americans as worried and disillusioned, artfully illustrating their struggles against a new wave of political pessimism.