Charlotte's Favorite Bookstore

Half memoir and half thriller, Goodwillie explores what motivates radicalism in the media obsessed and disenchanted 21st century. American Subversive is structured as a split memoir, alternating between the points of view of Aidan Cole, a media blogger, and Paige Roderick, whom is part of the inner circle of a radical group modeled on the Weather Underground. As Aidan investigates further into who Paige is as a part of his posts for the blog, he becomes entranced by the radical message of Paige's group. The sympathetic nature of the characters paired with their destructive and terrorist mentality makes the reader question if they are as susceptible to radical doctrines and violence.

Don't let the title of this book fool you, it is more than just about sex. Using a mix of psychology, prehistoric biology, anthropology and a bit of humor, Ryan helps to further cement the idea of humans as sexual beings. Looking at prehistoric cultures and primate relatives, Ryan analyzes human familial groupings, sexual orientation, and concepts about how we conduct ourselves in relationships. After finishing the book, I found myself wanting to investigate this fascinating topic further that I wound up reading several other books written by the researchers Ryan cited just to quench my curiosity.