The Overton Window

The Overton Window (2010), a political thriller by Glenn Beck, is the first book in the Overton Window duology. The book centers on the so-called “Overton Window” political concept and a conspiracy, which the protagonist must uncover before the USA is lost forever. The book received mixed reviews upon publication from critics and general readers alike. Beck is a successful radio and television personality who regularly appears on the Fox News Channel. He is one of the only authors to reach number one on both the fiction and nonfiction New York Times bestseller lists.

Noah Gardner, approaching thirty years old, is reflecting on where his life is at. He is single and more interested in finding love than building a career. Noah’s father, Arthur, is rich and influential in society circles, especially public relations. Noah glides through life safe in the knowledge that he can always work for his father. He has never had to fight for anything, and he isn’t passionate about any cause.

Noah is worried that he hasn’t achieved anything meaningful in his life, and he’s stuck in a political career that doesn’t fulfill him. His only interest is Molly Ross, a mailroom clerk at his father’s PR office. Beautiful and aloof, she’s a major player in a fanatical patriotic group. Noah is drawn to her passion and determination, but his father worries that she is a bad influence on him. Noah doesn’t listen, and he continues to pursue her.



Molly tells Noah about the political concept, the “Overton Window,” a theory that radical ideas are slowly introduced to the general population over many years until they become mainstream and accepted. This is how ideas once deemed unthinkable become normal. Molly and her group believe there’s a conspiracy to break the USA apart, changing how everyone thinks. They’re determined to ensure this can’t happen.

Noah isn’t convinced by her reasoning, but he’ll do anything to get close to her. He attends a club meeting with her at a private New York location—a meeting called a “Tea Party.” The attendees are all people who want to take the USA to a new place, controlled by an all-powerful government. With a powerful government, there will be less freedom of the press and more censorship.

The attendees ask Noah what he thinks. He explains that, while the United States is built on freedom, a small group of very powerful people already influence everything; it’s a terrible thing. He targets globalists in particular—they get rich from their huge economic conglomerates and pretend socialism works for everyone when it only serves the few. Molly is drawn to his passionate speech, and they grow closer.



Meanwhile, Noah’s father confronts him about his growing relationship with Molly. Arthur says that Molly is using him to get access to confidential office data and that she’s not really interested in him. Refusing to believe him, Noah begins to suspect that his own father has something to hide. His suspicions lead him to ask Molly what she thinks, and she tells him that she agrees. Together, they will uncover the truth about what’s really going on at the PR office.

Noah leverages access to his father’s computers and the sensitive data they contain. What he discovers is worse than he imagined. Arthur isn’t just a conspirator—he’s part of a group of elite and wealthy men orchestrating a one-world government. They plan to erase the President and the entire electoral system so that only a few men will rule the world.
Molly and Noah consider the Overton Window in more detail, and Noah sees that it makes sense. Politicians, the media, and marketing moguls engineer events to test public opinion, which they can then mold to suit their desires. Eventually, they will make it seem that the only way to run a peaceful, functioning world is to have a global government.

In the meantime, someone kidnaps Noah, and Molly admits she has only been using him for information. She doesn’t love him. Noah, however, is more worried about the implications of what they’ve uncovered—including a plan to blame terrible atrocities on Molly’s radical activist group. If Noah and the group can’t stop the crimes from taking place, public opinion might shift forever in favor of a global president.



Molly’s mother is killed, and Noah knows that time is running out. Molly will be the next victim. They leave New York and head for Las Vegas. When they arrive, Molly finds out that her ex-boyfriend is, in fact, an undercover informant for the FBI; he’s been working against her. Now that he knows her location, he’ll orchestrate her arrest.

Molly and Noah are chased by the police, and he’s taken back to his father. In exchange for his life, Noah promises he will work for his father and never speak to Molly again. However, Noah plans to work against his father in favor of the patriots, and Molly will help him.