George Saunders's The Braindead Megaphone collects essays that showcase the acclaimed fiction writer's penetrating intelligence and humane humor. The title essay argues that contemporary media discourse has been hijacked by the loudest voice in the room, whose amplification drowns out nuance and complexity. Other pieces range from travel writing about Dubai's artificial islands and Nepal's teenage 'Buddha Boy' to literary criticism of Twain and Vonnegut to reports from the Mexican border with Minutemen vigilantes. Saunders brings to nonfiction the same qualities that distinguish his stories: empathy for even difficult subjects, attention to the absurdities of late capitalism, and sentences that are both funny and profound. He is particularly good at capturing Americans caught in systems that deform their better impulses. The travel pieces are participant observations rather than tourism; Saunders genuinely engages with the people he meets rather than collecting anecdotes. His literary essays offer models of generous, precise reading. Throughout, Saunders displays a moral seriousness leavened by comedy, asking how we might live with more awareness and compassion. The Braindead Megaphone demonstrates that the author of Lincoln in the Bardo and Tenth of December is equally brilliant in nonfiction. Essential reading for fans of his fiction and anyone interested in clear thinking about contemporary culture.