Intense, visceral, heartbreaking, heavy, and hopeful. Written in 1998 but describes news items that could have been written about today's political climate (including a US-Canadian war, the phrase “Make America great again”, and the coupling of the church to the state). Butler was either a prophet or today's American right wing isn't as original as we think they are. Outside of its political relevance, it gives interesting perspective about life after the fall of a society. It wasn't the super harsh conditions that I found most interesting, but the way (some) life just goes on, even when the foundation of a nation shifts. Civilization doesn't end for everyone at the same time (or affect everyone equally). Its depiction of building a religious movement was especially compelling- what worked and what didn't and how you meet people where they are. The prose was fascinating too. The heaviest segments were written in the most matter-of-fact style, separating their impact from the way they were described. Tore through the book, but had to pace myself for sanity reasons. Not necessarily a fun read, but a good and powerful one.