The Best Book I’ve Ever Read and Why I Struggled to Finish It

There are books which we love, books which we enjoy so much that we struggle to put them down. For many people, these books are frequent, and we’re always on the hunt for the next book that will have this kind of impact on us. Speaking for myself, I’ve read a few books this year that have got me feeling this way, such as Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, an amazing book about how the pursuit of meaning in life is foundational to building good mental health.

At the same time, there is one book in particular I read this year, which was certainly one of the best I’ve ever read, although, at the same time, I really struggled to finish it at a couple of points. The book I’m referring to here is The Thatcherite Offensive: a Neo-Poulantzasian Analysis by Alexander Gallas. I was drawn to read it as I’ve been on the hunt for a while now for books that analyse and critique Margaret Thatcher and the neoliberal era in Britain, and this seemed like a perfect fit for that.

Having now finished it, I can confidently say that it’s one of the best reading experiences I’ve had this year for a number of reasons. Everything was easy to follow, the critiques of Thatcher and her policies were poignant and sharp, and it did everything it set…