 |
| Idiot America |
Title: Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free
Author: Charles P Pierce
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN-10: 0767926145
ISBN-13: 978-0767926140
Review: Quite a few years back, my brother and I changed out a carburetor in my wife's old Toyota Tercel. Having completed this single bit of mechanictry (not a real word), I don't believe that I could get a job as a Master Mechanic with Toyota. I also don't believe that I should advise others on their own car maintenance, I think that should be left to the experts; the people who have studied for years and have lots of experience behind them. That is what the author is saying in this book; people should trust the experts.
His complaint however, is that people aren't trusting the experts. They are trusting talk radio hosts, they are trusting "yes" men, they are trusting their own gut, in short, they are trusting the wrong people.
It is fair to say that through out most of this book, Charles P Pierce is pissed off. He touches on quite a few topics throughout the book such as The Creation Museum in Kentucky, Intelligent Design sneaking into the the curriculum in Colorado, the death of Terri Schiavo in Florida, Talk Radio throughout America, and virtually all of the last decade of what goes on in Washington, DC. Charles P Pierce is pissed off because the people who actually do know what they are talking about in such matters are at best, being ignored, and at worst are being ridiculed for the fact that they actually DO know what they are talking about. I believe he calls it an anti-intellectual backlash.
Charles P Pierce is a wonderful writer and he weaves an elaborate narrative on some of the sore spots of American culture. As I alluded to, his writing can come off as caustic at times, but he can also be quite shrewd and very funny. Think of him as Jon Stewart, but without so many jokes.
I highly recommend picking up this book. Heck you may even want to read it. 4 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment