This book analyses different historical waves of political radicalization, with a focus on the US. Al Gharbi argues that much of what is labeled ‘wokeness’ is a recurring form of political radicalization among elites that has occurred in different guises over more than 200 years of American history. He claims that this form of radicalization serves the interests of a new cultural elite rather than the marginalized communities it claims to champion. His theory focuses on the self-interest of ‘symbolic capitalists’ – journalists, academics, tech workers, and other professionals who build status through managing ideas, language, and narratives. These actors often adopt progressive rhetoric and diversity initiatives not out of deep commitment to equity, but as a way of distinguishing themselves in competitive status hierarchies with meagre results in terms of social justice. The book traces the historical rise of this group in the US and the cycles of ‘Awokenings’ – bursts of moral political activism (mostly on the left) that leave underlying inequalities intact. Drawing on Peter Turchin’s elite overproduction theory. he argues that these ‘awokenings’ are products of elite competition for material resources and status. While this is an interesting and provocative hypothesis, and Al Gharbi offers some suggestive data, it has yet to be tested rigorously, causality is an open question, and applicability to non-US contexts remains to be seen. Al Gharbi’s theory is interesting for scholars of radical social movements and protest, since it advances a clear and testable explanation of some of these phenomena in terms of elite competition. The book is a theoretically rich and empirically insightful work that advances the research agenda on political radicalization, social movements, and elite competition.