# What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank

4 Hacker News commenters recommended What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as an interesting, if frustrating, account of why working-class voters back policies against their economic interests, with Kansas as the case study.

## Why people recommend it

- Interesting, frustrating look at Kansas politics (2 comments): "explores some of this, but centered around Kansas. Pretty interesting (and frustrating) stuff." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45997700)) "Pretty interesting (and frustrating) stuff." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46016500))
- Covers the topic at length (1 comments): "that discusses this topic at length" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46719185))
- Quite good despite repetition (1 comments): "While a bit repetitive (because history) the book is quite good." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46783942))

## What people warn about

- Repetitive in places (1 comments): "While a bit repetitive (because history) the book is quite good." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46783942))
- Assumes an objective definition of self-interest (1 comments): "this framing assumes there is an objective definition of self interest" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46732119))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by Mearsheimer and Walt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/israel-lobby-and-u-s-foreign-policy.md): 5 recommend
- [The Dictator's Handbook by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dictator-s-handbook.md): 4 recommend
- [The Logic of Political Survival by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://hackerapproved.com/p/logic-of-political-survival.md): 4 recommend
- [Network Propaganda by Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris and Hal Roberts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/network-propaganda.md): 2 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1429900326?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781429900324) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank", https://hackerapproved.com/p/what-s-the-matter-with-kansas/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).