Book · 2014 · History
Making a New Deal
Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939
Why people recommend it
Making a New Deal by Lizabeth Cohen is a historical study examining how industrial workers in Chicago during the interwar period and the New Deal era transformed their working-class culture, labor unions, and political loyalties. Mark Dunkelman recommended Lizabeth Cohen's book during an appearance on The Ezra Klein Show in April 2026, designating it as the very first book he always recommends to anyone. Dunkelman praised the publication as the greatest pure book of history that he had ever read. By placing this work at the forefront of his closing book recommendations, Dunkelman underscored the profound impact that Cohen's scholarship had on his understanding of American history, working-class mobilization, and institutional change. The enthusiastic endorsement highlighted the book's enduring value as a definitive account of how ordinary people navigated massive economic shifts and built powerful mass movements during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American history.
Who recommended it
- Mark Dunkelman Recommended
Mark Dunkelman — 1 mention
“So uh the first book I always recommend to anyone is Liz Cohen's Making a New Deal, which I think is the greatest pure book of history that I've ever read.”