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I almost gave up in the first two chapters, and I'd have given it two stars had I done so. Menand writes about thought, and he writes about art, but the two barely intersect except by accident. And most (though not all) of the art and thought he writes about take place during the Cold War, but they have no impact on the Cold War and the Cold War has precious little impact on them.
When Menand writes about thought concerning international relations or national security, he is way out of his depth, making it unfortunate indeed that his first two chapters focus on George Kennan. Make no mistake, there may be no better way to set the stage for a Cold War-focused book than to start with Kennan, but alas!, the book is not really Cold War-focused and Menand's understanding of the hard nails of international relations are restricted to a sunny and unreflective approval of the "Realist" school without much consideration of alternatives.
His treatment of other branches of thought, such as civil rights, decolonization, existentialism, deconstructionism, etc., is at least a bit more well-informed. No one would take any of these as comprehensive, but a not-bad survey that might lead one to do further reading.
Luckily, Menand's true passion seems to be for the arts and his presentation of various artists is thoughtful and revealing. However, one should be forewarned that his focus is on both the left wing and the avante garde. An example of the former can be seen in his mention of Southern Gothic writers, with no mention of Flannery O'Connor at all. Another example is a passing reference to William F. Buckley, Jr., making perhaps the only non-left-wing thinker even mentioned. An example of the latter can be found in Norman Rockwell's complete absence from the text (one can't exactly say he was without influence or popularity). He seems to make a strange exception for both when covering rock-n-roll.
Menand's approach is biographic. He tells the tales of each individual's life and the influences that weighed upon them and then their contributions to their fields. He does weave an interesting interplay between some of them over the many pages.
The book came highly recommended by a friend but I honestly can't say I share his enthusiasm. In the end, I was glad to expand my artistic horizons through Menand's lens and no doubt I will follow this up by reading some of the writers he mentioned. But the title seems unfortunate indeed, as it implies a tie-in to the Cold War that was almost entirely lacking. What a pity, too, because both thought and art were deeply impacted by the realities of the Cold War (On the Beach, "I Hope the Russians Love Their Children Too," etc.) and they in turn deeply impacted the conduct and outcome of the Cold War. You won't be wasting your time reading it, the book brings real value, but manage your expectations. A pretty decent read all in all.