Rating: 
Summary: A good book, but not great.
Review: This is a good book, but not great- probably only deserves 3 stars, but I give it a 'bonus star' to conteract all of those reviews that are from people who obviously haven't read the book.
The book isn't really that funny - if you want a funny book read "Big Trouble" by Dave Barry.
The book doesn't really describe what it is like to be poor in America - if you want to know what it is like to be poor, read "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol.
Two highlights of this book are his first chapter where he describes 7 questions he has for President Bush, relating to the 9/11 incidents. Why don't we have the answers to these questions?
Also his chapter "How to talk to your conservative brother-in-law" presents an interesting layout of what Mr. Moore feels is the liberal agenda. Reading this chapter shows Mr. Moore to be much closer to the mainstream than many reviewers claim, and his points have solid arguements behind them.
However, like I said, this is just a good book, not great. His chapter "Jesus W. Christ", where he claims to speak for God is downright offensive. Mr. Moore, please don't tell me that you know what God is thinking - If I want to know what God thinks I'll read the Bible.
I'd recommend checking this book out from the library for an afternoon read - at about 250 pages it can be consumed pretty fast.
Rating: 
Summary: Propaganda
Review: As an independent, it is somewhat refreshing to see a propagandist from the "left" for a change, but I'm still fed up with the tendency of every prominent figure in our media to prefer emotional diatribes to reason. Yes, Moore makes some good points and his viewpoints are needed. However, like O'Reilly, Franken, Limbaugh, Coulter, and the plethora of random Hollywood celebrities (i.e., Schwarzenegger) that abuse their fame, Moore finds it easier to muster self-righteous anger than employ reason to further his agenda. Of course, he's just trying to make a buck. The real blame lies on the shoulders of the attention deficient American people who prefer loud, exciting "pseudo-news" to actual un-biased information.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's my country? Australia!
Review: This is a book written by an American, for Americans. But as an Australian, I found that many of Mike's messages hold true here. Although we are not in the dire position that America finds itself with the extreme right running the show, the signs are there and 'Dude' is a timely reminder for us.
Mike Moore writes in places with evangelical fervor, but redeems himself with his underlying messages full of common sense and honesty and a sincere wish for a better USA. He gives fanatical god-bothers of all breeds a good dose of reality with a whole chapter written by god himself. It is brilliant. The chapter written by him as a grandfather in the future is not a style he should repeat in future books.
The shear goodness and intelligence of the author shines through his writing and contrasts deeply with the flawed little man he so wishes to see leave the Whitehouse.
Rating: 
Summary: Lousy!!
Review: I read this book merely to find out if Michael Moore had learned from the bad reviews from his last book about how to write intelligently. His style is unorganized and cannot separate emotion from logic. Undoubtedly, he has had success in appealing to some of the uneducated masses, which is why he and a mediocre comedian (Al Franken) have recently become the most recognizable spokesmen for the liberal point of view. This book clearly demonstrates why the liberal media has fallen so far behind the conservative media.
Rating:
Summary: Details!
Review: This book is not quite as funny as Mike's previous books, but it is chock full of details, with all those rumours and weird stories you heard tracked down and spelled out clearly just what happened.I'm very glad this book has been written. The only thing that has a hope of bringing down Bush is the Truth. Lay it on, with double pickles!
Rating:
Summary: Essential reading for everyone
Review: This book points out that no country is above repeating the folly of Nazi Germany. Like the Nazi regime, national policy is not in the control of one mentally deficient man who's name is bandied about, but rather in the hands of big business which supports, maintains, dominates and simply uses as a shield, the little man with name recognition. Michael Moore explains current conditions in a way that everyone can understand and appreciate. This book is for those who rarely read and tend to get their information from very limited sources. Those folks will learn the truth and will be far more enlightened and will understand the serious dangers in store as long as the bush administration remains in power. Others will recognize information presented in the book as repetition of what they have read elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Will Oprah be president?
Review: According to Michael Moore, Oprah would definitely be
the better candidate, if she was to race against
the current incumbent. And might actually win!
So we should be prepared for a black woman
as US president! And this is what the book is all about.
Simply, it is worth reading for its many good
points and thought provoking conclusions.
Points we ought to have debated in upcoming elections. One of Moores best points is when he identifies
fear as a problem in our political decision making.
As Roosevelt said, we have nothing to fear but fear
itself.
Surely, without fear - political decisions
could be much better and much more future oriented.
However, Moore never convinces this reader that
there isn't a lot to be fearful about in the world.
To me, the kind of unilateral US disarmament Moore
advocates will not bring security, rather the rise of
something much worse than anything Moore
can say about the US.
But surely, Moore is correct in saying that we must
control our fears in order to ask the right questions
and figure out what our world should look like. When fifteen out of the nineteen hijackers in
the 9-11 attack are Saudis - and they are led by a
Saudi multimillionaire - Moore is correct to ask
why Saudi Arabia weren't invaded.
Surely, the reason is not that the Saudi regime
is a shinning example of freedom and democracy.
Instead their 1 trillion dollar investment in the
US stock market and another trillion in US banks
might kind of cloud our judgement concerning
their country.
So, instead Iraq was invaded.
Moore thinks this is all bad. But to me,
making the West less dependant on the royal Saudi
family nearly seems reason enough for going to war.
Anyhow, the arguments should be out there in the open. When stockprizes for many companies dropped 75 percent
or more between 1999 and 2002, obviously a lot
of executives had long ago dumped their own stocks,
while the average person were told by CNBC
to buy and hold out.
Ultimately securing a massive transfer of
wealth from one group (the averages Joes) to another
(the CEOs of this world).
Obviously, Moore rightly isn't to fond about
this kind of behaviour.
And it is not surprising that such things happen when
greed and fear (of being left behind) controls
our behaviour.
So, all in all there are a lot of points to
discuss in the upcoming elections. Realistically,
Moore hopes for a Clark candidacy to do this.
And indeed gen. Wesley K. Clark himself has stated
that he wants to foster a national dialogue about
Americas future.
And this is what democracy is all about -
debating the issues.
Reading Michael Moores book is a start. -Simon
Rating:
Summary: I wish you could just buy books by the chapter...
Review: The first three chapters in this book are interesting and insightful, full of shocking facts about the crimes of the Bush administration. If the rest of the book had been hacked off before it got into my hands, this would be a five star review. The remaining (majority) of the book is mainly non fact-based liberal rhetoric, starting with a chapter in which Mike pretends that he's God and gives God's supposed views on current events. By the end of the deal he's trying to seriously convince Oprah to run for president. If Letterman couldn't even convince Oprah to come on his show after a few months of prodding, how much success does Mike think he's going to have? A key point to making a good argument is having good facts to back it up, and unfortunately Mike begins to flatline after just three chapters.
Rating:
Summary: A question for the British
Review: Another thought creating book from Michael Moore again restoring some of my faith in the people of the United States (as did Bowling for Columbine). It is too easy from a distance to have a view of the states as reactionary and intolerant nation rather than a home of the liberal views referred to in the Liberal Paradise chapter. The British edition in a different introduction to that in the USA version asks poignant questions of us British as to why we have let our leaders drag us into the whole Iraq mess.
Rating:
Summary: Cool stuff, dude!!!
Review: Man, does Michael Moore rock or does he rock? That's like a rhetorical question, dude. I mean, is he on the money or what, man? Bush is full of lies and Michael calls him on it - plain and simple. I like Roger & Me and I absolutely ADORE Bowling for Columbine - a work of absolute magnificence! I read most of Stupid White Men, but I finished this one. Man, it's funnier than watching Scary Movie 3 and more intense than watching From Justin to Kelly - and that's saying a lot, dude! Rock on Michael - cool job at the Oscars, dude!
|
