Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age

The National Book Award–winning author of Stamped from the Beginning charts how “great replacement theory” has become a dominant political idea of our time and ushered in an antidemocratic age.

“[Kendi] has a gift for tracing how historical ideas metastasize into present, real-world damage… Kendi reveals the mechanics behind the myth, and why confronting it is now a democratic necessity.” — Oprah Daily

NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2026 BY: The New York Times, Oprah Daily, LitHub, Foreign Policy, and The Millions.

Recall the words chanted in Charlottesville, Virginia: “You will not replace us!” Recall the string of mass shooters across the globe who claimed their crimes were a defense against “White genocide” in:

• Oslo
• Christchurch
• Buffalo
• El Paso
• Pittsburgh

The term was coined in 2011 by a French novelist who argued that Black and Brown immigrants were “invading” Europe. Over time, great replacement theory has expanded those under threat to include:

• Citizens and ethnic majorities
• Men
• Jews and Christians
• Heterosexuals

In Chain of Ideas, internationally bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi offers an unsettling but indispensable global history of how great replacement theory brought humanity into this authoritarian age—and how we can free ourselves from it.