"Political correctness" has taken politeness and turned it into a weapon of censorship and intimidation. In the workplace, on social media, and even at the dinner table, Americans are confronted daily with a laundry list of words they're "not allowed" to say--and that list is updated constantly and without warning. How did so absurd a concept become so dangerous--and come to dominate our public discourse over the last quarter-century? This book traces the history and effects of political correctness from the early twentieth century to the present, revealing its insidious roots, exposing the power-hungry language architects behind its ever-growing control, and examining what this concerted manipulation of speech means for the future of American culture, politics, and minds.

Preface -- The West in Wonderland -- Redefining reality -- Cultural hegemony -- Standards and practices -- Mao goes mainstream -- The tolerant Left -- Nothing personal -- The school of resentment -- Campus codes and coercion -- The new Cold War -- Trading taboos -- The war on Christmas -- The battle for the sexes -- Locking down dissent -- The purge -- Conclusion: Back to Methuselah.