Book Reviews: 'Gerontocracy in America' and 'The Face: A Cultural History'

This article from The Week reviews two books. 'Gerontocracy in America' by Samuel Moyn examines the political and economic dominance of America's aging population, proposing policies to rebalance power toward younger generations, including mandatory voting and expanded entitlements. Critics note the book's radicalism and limited explanatory power of age as a variable. 'The Face: A Cultural History' by Fay Bound-Alberti traces the evolution of facial depiction from prehistoric carvings to modern surveillance, arguing that Renaissance-era prejudices still shape contemporary beauty standards and biases. The review highlights the book's rich research but notes a lack of a unifying thesis.