Aristotle's Ghost does not fit a traditional genre. It is a multiple hybrid: history, comparative government, political theory, developmental economics, conceptual analysis, history of ideas, and memoir. It also has an element of dialogue, as the author discusses his work with his alter ego, Aristotle, often by comparing Ancient Greece with America. This procedure allows for a recapitulation of the chapter's major themes, while deepening the analysis and clarifying concepts. The reader, therefore, can more easily digest the analysis. Written for a generally educated audience, the text trusts the reader to be a partner in the enterprise of understanding the currents and crosscurrents of the American experience.