The White Pill isn’t what I expected, and that’s a good thing. Considering the pithiness with which terms like “white pill” and “black pill” get tossed around, Michael Malice could have gotten away with writing a witty but surface-level book about the importance of keeping a positive mindset. Instead, he has created the most insidious Tootsie Roll Pop ever–jet black on the outside, with a tiny chunk of white at the very center. The White Pill isn’t an anodyne book on optimism, but a deeply disturbing and detailed account of the rise and fall of the USSR and the Berlin Wall, with a few relevant side stories to keep things fresh.