'Wake Up America': Bozeman man's short book on long problems

Bozeman resident Mark Chrisler got tired of sharing his reactions to national news coverage on Facebook. So he decided to write a book.

A self-described “curmudgeon,” Chrisler said he often feels compelled to speak up about what he perceives as misinformation, especially in advertising. He hopes his 31-page self-published book, “Wake Up America,” will do just that.

“I’m not an alarmist. I'm not a conspiracy theorist,” Chrisler said. “But I see a problem, and I'd like to help solve it.”

Chrisler acknowledges that parts of his book take a strong stance against MAGA conservatives, and he’s comfortable with that. But he insists the goal is not to demonize them. In fact, he said he chose to open the book with a chapter focused on health as a roundabout way to help.

“You're not going to change these MAGA people,” Chrisler said. “But if you get them to run around the block or eat better, they might feel better and less angry.”

Taking a no-nonsense approach, Chrisler’s first chapter lays out clear-cut directions for living a healthier life. Even simple changes like a short walk, a seven-minute workout, or a breakfast smoothie can make a big difference, he said, and are a necessary first step to dissect the overall concepts in later chapters.

“Let's start off with fixing ourselves,” Chrisler said. "Then we'll go fix the world.”

From there, Chrisler spends the next three chapters focused on toxic corporations, the environment and politics. The problems in all three areas, he argues, can be traced to greed. Still, Chrisler insists he is “as capitalistic as you can get,” citing his years spent working on Wall Street as a foundational part of his life.

“I'm not trying to change corporate America,” Chrisler said. “I'm trying to change the people that watch these things, and (get them to) hit mute during the ads.”

The book, Chrisler said, began with lengthy Facebook posts reacting to President Trump’s first administration. Watching the president challenge longstanding national norms left Chrisler furious, and he was disgusted by his remarks about women and numerous allegations of sexual assault against him.

"As father of two daughters and (having) a wonderful wife, I would think that would dissuade some of (Trump’s supporters),” Chrisler said. “But when it doesn't, that scares you.”

Chrisler said he's confident the president’s slipping favorability in polls will lead to a blue wave in the midterms and 2028 election, which he sees as a welcome change.

“These are compassionate people, the Democrats,” Chrisler said. “They're compassionate about immigrants and about people that are hurting.”

Chrisler raised his children in Berkeley, California, before retiring in Bozeman five years ago. During his time in California, he developed a deep respect and admiration for Latino immigrant communities — an experience he feels lucky to have had, and one harder to replicate in Montana.

Consequently, he has watched the surge of ICE raids during Trump’s second term with a sense of horror.

He expects the hostility toward immigrants to cool down if Democrats regain power. But he acknowledged a blue wave won’t solve all the problems outlined in the book.

"I'm not exonerating them,” Chrisler said. “Democrats are beholden to those big companies, too.”

In his next chapter about religion, Chrisler makes sweeping claims about Christianity, Islam and Judaism, arguing that all are largely used as tools of control, and citing Buddhism as the only mainstream religion with promise.

But in some of his statements about Islam — such as claiming denying women education is a religious tenet — Chrisler admits he may have fallen victim to the same misinformation his book decries. He was surprised to hear that not only do women in Iran, an Islamic theocracy, attend school, but they have outpaced male attendance in universities since 2001.

“I don't have an Islamophobic bone in my body,” Chrisler said. “I need to update my information.”

The issues he points out regarding health, the environment, politics and religion cannot be solved by a single person or book, he said. Ultimately, however, Chrisler said his goal is simple.

His concerns with misinformation are encapsulated in one particular commercial for a motorized device called LegXercise Pro. Chrisler sees the ads promoting the health benefits of a machine that simply moves a person’s feet for them as the pinnacle of misinformation.

“I’m hoping people will stop buying those machines,” Chrisler said. “If they just do that, I'll consider my book a success.”

Most of the time, Chrisler said, he’s not an angry, curmudgeonly person. He finds joy in spending time with his dogs and his 4-year-old granddaughter. But he sees a reckoning coming in this country, and he wanted to speak out while he still can.