The many faces of populism

Book review of I Am the People

No conversation on contemporary world affairs is complete without a round or two of exchanges regarding the emergence of and continuing admiration for populist and authoritarian leaders across continents, especially in robust democracies. Most dialogues conclude on a note of depressing unanimity; the rise of this tribe of leaders is accompanied by, also partly due to, the failure of traditional adversaries to rise to the occasion and present a counter-narrative.

Partha Chatterjee's book, is based on three talks he delivered in Columbia University in April 2018 as part of a lecture series named after American anthropologist, Ruth Benedict. Although directed at