Stephen Duncombe has had many professional incarnations: a longtime community activist, cultural studies author, scholar of the compliance profession, and professor to an Olsen twin. With his latest manifesto, he adds a new tag to his curriculum vitae — political dreamscape theorist.

While his politics are pretty distant from those of the 43rd President, Duncombe begins by giving props and plaudits to the Bush administration. Citing familiar anecdotes — from those missing WMDs to that theatrical "mission accomplished" speech — he argues that the administration has built a compelling political platform rooted in fantasy. Duncombe's point is best summed up by a quote from a senior Bush adviser, who revealed the administration's position on reality: "We're an empire now and when we act we create reality."

While fantasy has led some to victory, more pragmatic political paths have led others to failure. Among the most dismal losers have been progressives — the faction Duncombe most identifies with politically and the presumptive audience of this book. Aroused by a mix of jealousy and excitement, Duncombe formulates a colorful curriculum that calls for an injection of imagination into the politics of the Left. This includes lessons from such disparate source materials as Grand Theft Auto , the Billionaires for Bush network, Madison Avenue-crafted McDonald's commercials, and Las Vegas' urban planners. The focus of this fluent narrative is what he calls "dreampolitik" — realpolitik's creative counterpoint.

Progressives, Duncombe maintains, currently operate within a political model founded on the admirable yet outdated Enlightenment-era principles of reason and rationalism. If their purpose is to effect meaningful political change, then it's time for a new strategy. Duncombe's solution? Dream . By envisioning and enacting a political spectacle that heeds fantasy more than fact, progressives might capture the popular imagination and, possibly, the popular vote.

Throughout Dream, the author deftly explores American pop culture and political symbolism. With humility and humor, he explains why his political nemeses are more effective at motivating the masses than his comrades. He offers a re-imagined brand of progressivism, suggesting that his readers play politics a bit more like a video game.

-Justin Kazmark