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The O'Reilly Factor : The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life

The O'Reilly Factor : The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life

List Price: $25.95
Your Price: $16.35
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Middle position is not the same as mediocre
Review: One of the the maxims that the O'Reilly Factor plays is that it is a "no-spin zone". The issues he discusses are not new, instead he covers the issues that he feels are not covered enough by the current media. Unfortunately using "liberal media", class warfare, and Madison Avenue as the source of many of these problems paint him in a corner shared by Rush Limbaugh, Hal Thomas, and other conservatives. Since his coverage is widespread but not in-depth many of the issues' causes are ignored. Because he will bring up issues that have already been discussed thousands of ways or he brings up subjects that are unethical but not a nationwide media issue he is considered to be naive and is considered to be a modern Don Quixote. Still the book is very entertaining and brings to you many issues that are not discussed in a reasonable light. Perhaps he seems contradictory since he does not affiliate himself with any party or political view. Just as a newspaper reporter tries to maintain objectivity when writing an article, O'Reilly tries to look at both sides of issues and then will confront sides that do not rely on logic. He will attack persons that support their ideas only by feelings or unproven facts. Because of this old issues are confronted and new issues are discovered all in the name of entertainment.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Over Simplification Factor
Review: This book is very simple and has few ideas. The negative is that one doesn't get much out of reading it. On the positive side, one can read it extremely quickly. In fact, you can read about 5 pages and you will pretty much have the content of the entire book mastered. You might enjoy this book if you find self congratulation by the author to be of interest. Too simple and boring for me.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Big Time Disappointment
Review: O'Reilly starts out strong as he describes his rise to fame but it doesn't take a genius to make a list of what's good, bad and ridiculous in America. He has some interesting perspective into certain issues but overall I'm struggling to find anything that I gained from this book.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Factor Fans will be Disappointed
Review: The lukewarm reviews are correct. O'Reilly departs from the style his pithy talking points memo in writing that reads like a memoir at best and like incoherent ramblings at worst. Those who watch his show for its freshness will find the subject matters drab. Those who watch his show for its news commentary will fund this book irrelevant. His show gets 5 stars. But buy Larry Elder's The Ten Things You Can't Say in America instead.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The Oreilly Factor
Review: Bill Oreilly has a popular show on every weekday on the Fox News channel where he rails against government waist, hypocrisy, and corruption, plus that of non-governmental but famous personalities. I had actually never seen his show until after I decided to download the audio version of his book. The book is basically Oreilly's take on just about everything under the sun. If he doesn't make his thoughts clear enough in sections about parenting, dating, marriage, etc., he gives you whole lists of what he considers "good" and "bad" at the end of the book.

Oreilly, for those who don't know much about him, is pretty conservative, but unlike other conservative commentators, he does at least conduct himself with some degree of fairness. Yes, he sometimes berates his guests, but he also is self-deprecating and often gives certain argued points to his opponents. So he is infuriating, annoying, and somehow ingenuous all at the same time. This book is not exactly like his show because he does not have any opponent to bounce his views off of. It is simply him telling you his opinions. Some of them are right on, others are naïve, but many are simply his own personal tastes, and unless you take them for that and that alone, you will inevitably become angry. Even the staunches conservatives will disagree with him on many issues. For example he is actually a proponent of government regulation in some areas where he deems it safety and economic security vital - such as the airlines and the power industry. He is not espousing views here in so general a way that most people will agree with him. Perhaps he is even intentionally trying to reil people up. But so many people feel that they have to agree with him on everything in order to respect him. These are opinions, people. I would not go looking to Oreilly for marital advice, but it is awfully fun hearing about a guy's perspective on things who isn't afraid of being politically correct. It is refreshing. Some of it may be close-minded, but not in the obnoxious way as a morning shock-jock.

I would definitely recommend this book (or even better one of the audio versions read by Oreilly himself) if you feel like getting an unabashed point of view from one of the more outspoken journalists/commentators of today, but if you are seriously offended by opinion that does not fit into your own narrow spectrum (whether you are liberal or conservative) his book will only cause you serious vexation.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: 19 chapters of junk, 1 chapter of gratitude
Review: 19 chapters of junk, 1 chapter of gratitude. he complains throughout the book. in the final chapter, he tells you who impresses him.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The whole truth.
Review: Lots of people dont like Bill O'Reilly because his views and his show hits home.... Hard. The truth hurts folks, might as well get used to it. Bill is right on target with the ills and corruption in our political system so widely accepted by americans who choose to turn the other cheek. Every american should read this book. I used to be one of those people who didnt like him, but now I realize how ignorant I was. I wish there were more journalists like Bill out there.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Rambling Thoughts of an Honest man
Review: What can you say about Mr. O'Reilly? I find that I do not always agree with him, often think he is completely "out to lunch", sometimes think his ego is out of control, but am always entertained and engaged by his style. The book, like the show, is simple: Mr. O'Reilly talking about his opinions on a variety of subjects. The book is a easy read to say the least. The type of book to buy at an airport, read on the plane and still get 45 minutes of good sleep! This is not a deep book, however that does not mean that he doesn't occasionally really nail something. The first chapter on social class opens with an admonishment of Jesse Jackson that basically say's Jesse is barking up the wrong tree. The REAL problem in America is not race, but social class. He gets this dead on correct in my opinion as well. Other chapters such as those on Dating, Parents and Religion are little more than his opinions, with little substance to back his views and read like he was being paid by the chapter and had to fill some space. I will say this about Mr. O'Reilly, he is very open of those who are critical of him. The few times I have tuned into his show, and while reading this book, I was amused and impressed by the self depreciating way he gives those with a harsh and critical opinion of both him and his viewpoints open airtime. That is very refreshing indeed. Most political writers, Liberals and Conservatives alike, rarely if ever want to draw attention to a contrasting opinion. O'Reilly does this often and in ways which are both funny and illuminating. I compare this book to the USA Today, you never walk away feeling as though you have benefited from the time spent reading it, but you are always entertained while doing so.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Good show, shallow book
Review: I love the show, but the book was a major disappointment. Bill (Mr. Harvard himself!) simply touches very lightly on various issues. As a political science major, I have a realtivley firm grasp on issues and our systems of government. Bill O'Reilly does not. Calling Al Sharpton a demagogue is simply outrageous. If Sharpton and Jackson are demagogues, then so is O'Reilly. I found the chapters on race and class to be most appalling. O'Reilly presents little or no evidence to support his arguments (rule number one- sociological statements are to be backed up with statistics). Another thing that bothered me was the lack of documentation, in the academic world this is a sin. He borrows ideas from various sources, regurgitates them and doesn't cite his source, rather unprofessional in my opinion. If you are a 5th grader who would like to look smart in front of your peers, read this book. Everyone else should just regard this piece of work as rhetoric and semi-useless chatter. But I will continue to watch the O'Reilly Factor because he's one tough SOB who isn't afraid to pounce on his guests. Bill just needs to stick to television show and stay away from writing.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Sound Thought Process
Review: Mr. O'Reilly has it wrong on a few things, but his honesty and sound thought process impress me. In his book, Bill O'Reilly uses common sense to approach common problems in American society such as our country's addiction to illegal drugs. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially young kids who think politics isn't for them and won't affect their own lives.

Only the political elite will not enjoy this book. Those more politically savvy may see it as patronizing and ignorant, however. This book is definitely geared towards very young people with little interest in the world around them. That's fine, though -- we need more books to help these misguided youngsters, because apathy and freedom just don't work together.


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