Difficult to read, but essential. Mayer traces the careers of the Koch Brothers as they seize control of the levers of American democracy to advance their libertarian philosophy and, simultaneously, their own wealth and interests. The Koch Brothers have patiently built an empire of nonprofits, academic centers, and, most importantly, donors that has become a third political power center, rivaling the Democratic and Republican Parties but without any accountability. The result has been an inexhaustible source of right-wing money fueling an ideology without compromise, negotiation, or responsibility to anyone other than the plutocracy. A prodigiously researched picture that also helps explain the rise of Trump.