This book I think truly touches upon the ultimate fear of humankind: not being the owner of your thoughts. I believe I give it four stars simply because its premise didn’t shock me (bc I wasn’t reading it in 1950). It’s well-written, no doubt… but something about it seems tired to me, probably because I’m so saturated with the world today. Do you understand what I mean? In any case, a recommended read. The phrase that most stuck with me regarding the patterns of humanity and political ideology throughout history is, “Even after enormous upheavals and seemingly irrevocable changes, the same pattern has always reasserted itself, just as a gyroscope will always return to equilibrium, however far it is pushed one way or the other.” Will we ever be free indeed…