Common Sense

Rating:
Summary: Timely
Review: With all that's going on in the world right now, AND all that's going on with our government - this book is very timely. Who would've thought so many passages would reflect the way our government needs to be right now? I was delightfully surprised to read paragraph after paragraph and be able to tie it in to today's world.
I think our government should read this so they can figure out what they should be doing rather than what they are doing.


Rating:
Summary: The logic of Common Sense
Review: "Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices." This is just a sample of the wisdom of Thomas Paine in Common Sense. His vivid words and sound arguements make it clear why this pamphlet helped to ignite the revolution. He starts by discussing the general design of government and talking briefly about the English Constitution. The second chapter deals with how silly the whole concept of heredity succession is and how the monarchy has failed. It's reminiscent of Sir Thomas More's Utopia in that respect. Chapter three discusses America at the current time and chapter four is about America's ability to fight Britain at the time. The appendix refutes arguements in the king's speech, which reached America the day Common Sense came out. After reading this important piece of American literature I was ready to go out and fight the British. Thomas Paine's words still have that effect 224 years later.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent stuff
Review: A great book which underlines the evils of the British Empire at the time, as well as the inadequacies of the British political system which we still have to this day. More exciting to read than "The rights of man" which is more or less a series of personal criticisms against the tory MP Edmund Burke. A book which all republicans living in monarchical countries should read as their basic intellectual weapon against royalist stupity and ignorance.

Rating:
Summary: Common Sense
Review: Before reading "Common Sense" I was expecting something like the Declaration of Independence: mainly a list of grievances showing how King George had lost the right to rule, which is somewhat remote today (except for that magnificent preamble!). Instead, it attacked monarchy at the roots - very good and inspiring - I could almost hear the drumbeats of revolution.

Paine's style was interesting because it is so modern. His spellings (the copy I read was unmodernized) were mostly standard American English as today, and he had few or none unnecessarily capitalized words, such as you encounter in Ben Franklin's writings.

As long as there are still kings or autocrats in the world, Paine's "Common Sense" will continue to be a powerful rebuttal to such perversions of human freedom. And as long as "Common Sense" is read, monarchies will continue to topple. That is Paine's enduring legacy. Read this!

Rating:
Summary: Common Sense (Penguin Classics)
Review: Common Sense written by Thomas Paine is a book the was published in 1776, short, concise and lucid in the argument that galvanized the thought in the thirteen colonies to fight England and gain independence.

Foremost in thinking at the time, Thomas Paine rallied the people to seek a better, freer, and independent movement to establish the United States. No one will ever know the true extent to which "Common Sense" played in changing public opinion in favor of independence, but it aforded a blunt and direct argument that was written in a language that could be understood by any literate colonist.

As Bernard Bailyn said, "the most brillant pamphlet written during the American Revolution, and one of the most brilliant pamphlets ever written in the Einglish language." Every United States citizen should read this book and this is a must read for all high school students.

Powerful thought for a time when estrangement between England and the thirteen colonies was growing. While the British presence in the colonies was weak throughout the eighteenth-century, and while its power and influence over Americans was by no means dominant, the time was at hand to make a decision.

A decision that would be either bring independence or tyranny, the catalysis was "Common Sense."

Rating:
Summary: A classic work of American politics
Review: Everyone interested in American political history should read Common Sense, the pamphlet distributed to Americans in 1776 arguing against British control of the colonies. Many of the ideas are lifted from John Locke and other political philosophers. The Declaration of Independence suffices for why the Americans revolted, but anyone surveying American history of the Revolutionary period should take a look at this. Great rhetoric.

Rating:
Summary: Every American should read this
Review: He was one of the first Americans to speak out about his beliefs on Freedom. This book defines what had to be believed before America could fight against the British for Independence. He is one who stood up and wrote what he believed in and changed the world by doing so.

Rating:
Summary: A Pillar of History and Patriotic Fervor
Review: How does one possibly review/critique this work? It's a magnificent document written at a time of great upheaval and trials. Deep questions of great magnitude are asked and answered here. If you haven't read this in your school years, then try it now, and understand what was in the souls of a generation long gone.

This very short document is beautifully written, and perfectly typical of the period from which it came. The words inspire, entice, infuriate, and move the reader to action. How they must have burned in the minds of those who lived under British rule.

There is no need to say anything about "Common Sense". If you have any interest in history and the strength of it's words, then read this book NOW. Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Gettysburg Address, Declaration of Independance all stand together with Common Sense as examples of the power of the pen, or the word. What strength lies here. Where have THESE writers gone??

Read this very soon, it will show you many things about your life.

Rating:
Summary: You say you want a revolution
Review: I have always had a bit of a preoccupation with the founding spirit of this sometimes great nation. There was such a fervor and passion for freedom from the iron fist of the British Empire that a foundation for freedom was established that many nations worldwide would come to imitate. I have to admit that when I read a brief manifesto like Common Sense by Thomas Paine, I imagine what it would have been like to have been a colonist in those days. Would I have had the courage to join the Revolution? Thomas Paine was a bit of a rogue but surely he inspired quite a few people to take up arms in the Revolution. And he did grant us the time honoured notion that at its best, government is merely a necessary evil.

Rating:
Summary: Profound in it Simplicity, yet awesome in it's Significance
Review: I have yet to be disappointed, in my life long quest to find the "wisdom of the ages" in the words of the more than 250 founding individuals of this great country of ours. Many of them the spouses, friends and relatives of those freedom fighters so long ago. I often complain about the abhorant conduct of the left i.e. liberals and progressives, who seem to just totally ignore the treasure trove of knowledge and understanding in the writings of our founders. It is ashamed that so many people today read and evaluate these great works based upon their 21st century understanding and their predjudiced and biased life experiences. They ultimately fail to place themselves in an 18th century setting when evaluating. That is the reason so many so-called Constitutional scholars, who may be in possession of many degrees and honorary titles are such bafoons when trying to grasp the heart, character and vision of Amreica. Thomas Paine had a clarity of thought and understanding that escapes so many politicians, special interest groups, judges, and biased media moguls and journalist today. They haven't got a clue and yet they spout their spin as if they were all knowing and all seeing. Unfortunately so many sheepish citizens eat their misguided words and commentaries up and bow down to the false wisdom of a manipulative media machine. The single most important lesson to take from this offering on "Common Sense" is this "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable ourcry in defence of custom, and time makes more converts than reason." Nothing could be more true. Cases in point are the Separation of Church and State, which does not exist in the constitution or our founders writing. Abortion which is an act of murder has become a custom and accepted, buth the death penalty is reviled. The same is true of so many other socially deviant and destructive activities, giving needles and drugs and condemns out etc. All because time has made more converts than has reason, these negative activities have become customary. How sad for America and our posterity. Paine talked about Independence from an oppressive king, but his words fit our oppression from the extreme left and our fall from grace today as well. Paine's words are wisdom for the ages. If only people would read and listen. This and so many other books should be required reading starting in Middle School and up.