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Summary: I was only a kid when these columns were written ...
Review: ... and I still find them splendidly funny. :)Molly Ivins makes us laugh at the stupid things politicians do ... and at the same time makes us think about how the world can be made a better place. It's a difficult balance to strike, but she's done an excellent job of it. (My favorite example: Gib Lewis asking people in wheelchairs to "stand and be recognized.")
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Summary: Molly Ivins Can't Recycle That, Can She?
Review: Apparently, she can. In addition to being one of America's most puerile, unfunny political pundits, Ms. Ivins is a prolific recycler of other people's works. But this should not affect her standing as a favorite amongst the drug-addled sixties retreads who read this stuff anyway.
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Summary: A STAPLE OF THE BARGAIN BIN
Review: As I perused a copy of this misguided missive I was sorely reminded of Ivin's nonsensical take on the world. It is frightening to think that anyone would embrace her views. As a native Texan I am well aware of Ms. Ivins prescriptions for a better USA: (1) unlimited welfare for all, no responsibility required - and by all means, have as many babies as possible out of wedlock because the more the merrier. Identify the fathers? Not to worry. Ole Uncle Sam is daddy to all in the liberal universe. (2) Unprotected U.S. borders are an absolute must. Ms. Ivins says we should let everyone in, no restrictions whatsoever - again, the more the merrier. We celebrated her wisdom on September 11. (3) Hold no politician to any standard of behavior, particularly Demodogs like Clinton. Who cares if their bad judgment embarrasses the country, or even worse, offers opportunity for blackmail or criminal activity. (4) Always vote Democrat so you can enjoy the above and other fruits of her sound advice. Yes, we know Molly well in Texas - this ole cow shoulda been put out to pasture before she ever picked up a pen!
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Summary: Molly Ivins, Plaigiarist
Review: Be forewarned: Molly Ivins is a serial plaigiarist, having been exposed twice. She stole the work of Tom Brokaw and Florence King. This book is a tiresome screed about Ms. Ivins tribulations as a noble progressive living among ignorant, hateful conservatives in Texas.
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Summary: Ivins' political commentary is both astute and hilarious.
Review: How does a liberal political commentator stay alive, much less flourish, in the state of Texas? First, she is a native Texan. Second, she has a rapier wit that slices with such accuracy that her targets are stunned. Third, even if she is talking about you, you are falling down with side-splitting laughter, so it's hard to strike back at Molly Ivins. She is a wonder and a treasure.
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Summary: Molly is a Wonderful Political Commentator!
Review: I have been following the commentary of Molly Ivins for several years now, and must say that this book is a must-read for anyone who follows American politics, Texas politics, and the changing social policy environment. Molly doesn't only write thoroughly enjoyable and readable essays, but she also does a consistently thorough job of collecting up data to back her views. This book, and many other writings by Ms. Ivins would also serve political science professors well in bringing a voice and views to discussion that is not only unaffected by the pulls of the corporate press, but unabashedly vocal about corruption and the controls of Big Money on our lives.
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Summary: Yer darn tootin' she can say that!
Review: I've only recently begun to pay an active attention to politics. I may have paid attention to topics in the past, at least more than the majority of Americans since I did vote, but I didn't really search out information. These days, however, I tune to NPR for the coverage of certain issues, and will catch a newspaper or magazine article if the topic really intrigues me. It doesn't necessarily help me make political decisions any better than before, but I am better able to communicate my opinions. I'm sure no one ever told Molly Ivins that she had trouble communicating her opinions, though. Communicate them she does, with a drawl and a wry grin. I'm sad that I've only recently started to search out information, because I would have loved to have read this essays by Ivins when they were topical. After the fact, they're enjoyable, especially since I lived in Texas during the time the majority of these essays were written. Some of the topics I recall vaguely, like the Gib-erish of Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis ("I cannot tell you how grateful I am--I am filled with humidity." "I want to thank each and every one of you for having extinguished yourselves this session."). Other topics I knew intimately, like the furor over Governor Mark White's "No Pass, No Play" rule. It was fun to revisit those days and to catch up on those things I had missed because I was too busy playing around at school. Ivins' style is so full of Texas itself that it was scary--I felt like I was back amongst those dumb Aggies (a quick wave to my bubba!) and crazy rednecks. I even felt homesick for a moment--then I remembered: Texas, it's a good place to visit, but I've already lived there.
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Summary: She can say whatever she wants
Review: If more political commentary was as insightful and as much fun as this collection of columns by Molly Ivens about her home state of Texas, more citizens might have a keener interest in the process and fewer politicians would be willing to engage in the tawdry business that makes them such easy targets. To give a sample of Iven's viewpoint, she refers to the Texas statehouse as a 'building built by giants and inhabited by pigmies.' The woman takes no prisoners and doesn't suffer fools at all. She is absolutely honest, sparing neither party and no individual. If you are a public figure in Texas and do something stupid or dishonest, Molly Ivens will call you on it - and in a very embarrasing way. These columns are wonderful reading. Besides being both intelligent and extremely funny, they carry the sense of someone who truely wants for things to be better, and is only amazed (and slightly amused) that they are so off track.
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Summary: Breezy, uninformed social criticism
Review: If you agree with Molly Ivins political views you may be entertained by this collection of essays, but for the most part this is just mean-spirited sneering at people whose political philosophy is not in lock-step with that of the one-time columnist for the Dallas Times-Herald. There is no reasoning or fairness here, certainly no information of any value regarding politics in Texas or elsewhere. The disingenuousness of the title may be said to sum up the collection. According to the introduction, readers of the Dallas Times-Herald were strangely sensitive to being despised by Ivins and threatened to cancel their subscriptions! How narrow-minded we are supposed to think them! How self-congratulatory Ivins is over being so successfully insulting! You don't have to buy this book to read Ivins carping columns - you'll find one in a number of left-wing publications. And any one, frankly, is pretty much like any other.
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Summary: Us conservatives are yawning already...
Review: If you are the type of person who likes to harrass people for their values, include emotionally abusing terms of language in your sarcastic, one-sided speech, and literally HATE and LOATHE people who do not agree with your values, then this is the book for you. It was not the book for me, and I hope that you concur. Reading this woman's columns in the paper alone is sickening enough. Imagine a full book of her hateful words against people who are not really evil and awful, like she implies. If you took out any words that were sarcastic, she would be rendered unable to communicate. Please, do not waste your money on this book when you can decide for YOURSELF what your values are, and not be enforced by an awful example such as the scrap of rubbish that she wrote.
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