Rating: 
Summary: Much valid criticism but not enough game plan!
Review: Arianna Huffington as always is informative and accurate in her scathing criticism of the Bush regime and the damage Bush and cronies are doing to the people of America and the world.... and anyone who does not yet intellectually and emotionally grasp the reality (indeed the horrors) existing under the rhetoric of our current government will benefit from reading this book. But having just previously read Senator Byrd's excellent LOSING AMERICA - which focused on the facts and Byrd's deeply felt and profound observations (in his case, of the power tactics, lack of conscience and integrity, and vicious partisanship he has witnessed among many of our Congresspersons) without ranting and name-calling, I found myself frustrated with Huntington.
Clearly the left needs its Huntington's and Franken's and Moore's - and I value all three of them. But Huntington is more likely to provide confirmation and an outlet for anger for those already strongly anti-Bush, while turning off the undecided with inflammatory language. Not all of us are empowered to political action by nonstop ranting. The realities speak for themselves. Let the reader learn of them, feel his or her own anger rather than react to the authors, and feel mobilized as a result to take action for new political alternatives. Too much ranting can leave one emotionally exhausted and depressed rather than empowered to help bring in a new government.
The Left also needs more specific clarification of its vision and agenda, and this book does not provide that in more than a few pages. After reading many anti-Bush books, I bought Huntington's latest because of the subtitle, "The Game Plan for Winning Back America". But the "Game Plan", in the simplest form, was really a brief addendum to a book which focused almost entirely on what is wrong, rather than what we need to make right and how to do it.
I do not however want to dissuade readers from buying and reading this book. The more you learn about what's really going on in this country and its effect on the world and future of this planet, the more appalled you may be... and the more committed to helping bring about a new Democratic regime. If you are wanting to learn more about what's wrong, read this book (and Hightower's Thieves in High Places, Hartmann's We the People, Derber's Regime Change Begins at Home and People Before Profit, and Byrd's Losing Ground - all which I preferred). But once you know what's wrong and are well-informed enough to share it with others, and once you have lived in your outrage long enough to want to channel your anger into commitment and vision, you may then be ready for a Game Plan for America which goes beyond Huntington. You might then wish to read John Kerry's Call to Service and Plan for America. They at least provide the seeds which can eventually blossom into a new kind of government, one which serves the needs of its people, in action as well as words.
Rating: 
Summary: A Surprisingly Strong Argument for the Defeat of George Bush
Review: Arianna Huffington has written a well thought out book that profoundly indicts the current Bush Administration but does so in a way that the most respected political philosophers of today like Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. would be proud.Basically, Ms. Huffington warns of an America that is so wildly off course due to the detached leadership of George W. Bush that we are getting to a dangerous point in our country's history. She offers the thought that asks how long can the downtrodden be tossed aside before the entire social fabric that hold our society collapses? Ms. Huffington adds that the amount of people looking for emergency rooms as their health care is increasing at alarming rates. She cites headlines from around the country that note the plight of the working poor and wonders why they are being ignored by our political system. More importantly, Ms. Huffington calls into question that lack of leadership by the media who've abandoned the task of reporting on how Bush has broken promises to help the poor and children but had rewarded the rich time and again with excessive tax cuts. Ms. Huffington then calls into question the political rise of Arnold Schwarzenegger and sadly notes that he is nothing but a warmed over George W. Bush who upon taking office made his first action to strip away a cost of living increase for California's poor. She then says that the media has fallen in love with Arnold and is giving him a pass time and again all to the determent of the poor of California as he cuts their social net. This is a well written book on so many levels that is better than the Franken book as it is less angry and more intellectual. Her book is more of a strategic argument for a new course of action for the Democratic Presidential Candidate of 2004 and the party itself. In short, this is an excellent political treatise that should be read by all who are looking for a new course for our country.
Rating:
Summary: A Populist With A Timely Message
Review: Arianna Huffington's superbly witty book is particularly significant in view of the fact that she falls into the category of independents that the Democratic Party needs to win back the White House in November. Huffington reveals her epiphany, when Harris Wofford, a former civil rights leader with close ties to Martin Luther King, convinced her in the wake of her criticism that the Americorps program he headed in the Clinton administration deserved her support. Arianna not only reversed course on Americorps, she became an articulate populist who is now one of the most trenchant critics of George W. Bush. The rationale for Huffington's book is stated in her title, bracketing competing political forces into fanatics and fools. She sharply attacks the Bush administration and the current Republican Party, attaching the label of fanaticism based on what she perceives as destructive policies, 1) in the realm of supporting tax cuts which disproportionately benefit the wealthy at the expense of the rest of America, 2) a jingoistic foreign policy responsible for not only launching a war in Iraq that was unnecessary, but alienating world opinion through a go it alone attitude, 3) shortchanging America's schools, 4) despoiling the environment, 5) leaving America vulnerable to foreign terrorist attack while making bogus claims of making the citizenry safer. The Republicans are defined as fanatics and the Democrats labeled as fools for failing to mount a cohesive opposition. Huffington delivers a necessary slap in exhorting the troops to shape up after the disastrous 2002 mid-term elections, in which the opposition party failed to provide a clear message and appeared intimidated by boisterous Republican propaganda efforts directed by Karl Rove equating opposition with an absence of patriotism. Speaking as someone with authentic independent credentials of her own, Arianna bluntly tells the Democratic Party leadership that the only way Bush can be defeated is to stir the increasing number of Americans dropping out of the process with a clear and effective message, a concise and sharply articulated alternative to Bush Republicanism. Bush Lite, she argues, will do no more than provide Bush More. Huffington, who was a candidate in the recent California recall race for governor before dropping out late in the race, provides an intelligent analysis of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the up close perspective of someone who has known him for a long time, becoming acquainted with him initially when the actor supported her ex-husband in his attempt to defeat Senator Dianne Feinstein in a hotly contested 1994 race. She notes that he uses his charm to shield himself from criticism, dodging the tough issues. Despite his "moderate" tag stemming from issues such as abortion and gay adoption, she notes that on the important money issues that really matter to the Republican Party, Schwarzenegger's positions are in lock step with those of Bush, someone for whom he has expressed deep admiration. She notes that in honoring his pledge to repeal the controversial car tax, Schwarzenegger reeked economic wreckage in which the blind, students from middle class families hoping to attend college, and welfare single mothers seeking to bring up families were all deprived of needed funds. Huffington writes with a penetrating wit, honed as a debater in her college days at Cambridge University. It is understandable why right wing Republicans prefer to keep their distance from her.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Companion for Today's Political Landscape
Review: Huffington's "Fanatics and Fools" is an excellent companion for the 2004 election year, and beyond.
In this book, Huffington does the following:
1. She lays out the case for viewing the neo-conservative threat to America as one of fanatics who, without regard to facts, are making a disaster of America's economic life and foreign policy. She also provides profiles of key neo-con players.
2. She removes the facade of "compassionate conservatism" worn by so-called "moderate" Republicans, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and George W, and exposes the bread and circus nature of their campaigns and the real intention and effects of their policies.
3. She shows us what has gone wrong, within the Democratic Party, that prevents this party from playing an effective role in countering neo-con fanaticism -- and she shows how to fix the blurred vision and short-sightedness of the Democrats.
4. She adds sidebars of humor that help to lighten up a heavy topic, while still driving home the nature of the political crisis we are currently in.
5. She offers a blueprint to serve as a national agenda, drawing on the best progressive traditions of both the Democratic and the Republican Parties.
This a book that anyone who is interested in understanding the present and building a future for our country should read.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking for those exploring US politics ...
Review: I became interested in Ariana Huffington's writing after hearing her on NPR's Left, Right and Center. Up until now I had always considered myself a Republican basically because my parents had voted Republican being in the upper middle class. This book appealed to me because I am one of those persons who could not begin to tell you what the Democratic versus Republican platform was and what it was that made me a "Republican? I get the feeling that there are many people like me out there ?college educated, relatively well off, great friends and family who haven't participated in the political process to the extent they should have and have an embarrassing low level of knowledge of current US politics. I also wonder if many of the Democrats there ?or the President Bush haters could articulate their position either. It's quite amazing how the most fervent liberals love to protest just for the sake of protesting but can't articulate a thing. I've run many of these types of people especially during my time in law school. In a way, this has the opposite effect b/c these protesters tend to be, at least in my experience, the most immature, the laziest and least knowledgeable. Sometimes I think that I would vote for Bush just to spite these people. Where can one go for legitimate debate and discussion of issues? For one, NPR's "Left, Right and Center?is a great show though incredibly left leaning nowadays and another great source is Ariana Huffington.
I've been searching for books on US politics ?basically "primers?to give me some background on what it is to be a Republican or a Democrat. There are some new books out there "History of the Democratic Party?and "History of the Republican Party?have recently been published but these are more historic books as well as a slew of "pop-politics?books, e.g. Al Franken, Ann Coulter. Also, reading about the official party platforms was so dry and boring. I've read both "Fanatics and Fools?and "How to Overthrow the Government?and have finally found an author that comes off as very intelligent, backs up her position (right or wrong) and provides a great foundation to explore politics, ask questions and actually do something.
One note, in "Fanatics and Fools", Ms. Huffington takes a position, i.e. Bush must not win. So, she's not objective. This book obviously will not sit well with Republicans. However, I do believe it is a great "primer?("How to Overthrow the Government?may be better but is a bit too "granola?feel goody for me) and a very timely book. Regardless of whether you vote Republican or Democrat, I thank Ms. Huffington for getting me motivated about participating in the political process. Though her overly snide manner can get tiresome at times (hey, we know you are intelligent and witty ?you don't have to lay it on so thick) as does her lofty righteousness, this is a well-written and thought-provoking book. If you are like me, it will help in your exploration of US politics. Ms. Huffington is a recent immigrant to the US so her appreciation and love of US democracy oozes out of her and should make all of us US citizen take note and realize what a great country we live in. As an oversees US citizen living in Korea, I just sent in my application for absentee balloting.
Rating:
Summary: Fun Facts
Review: I don't care if you are an extreme liberal or a very conservative Republican, you should read this book and here's a few reasons why:
1) Ms. Arianna Huffington knows what she is talking about- not only has she done her research and provides numerous statistics to back up her points and opinions, but she was a candidate in CA's Recall Race, so she has had one-on-one dealings and discussions with most of the people she talks about in this book
2) She talks about ISSUES not just people involved. For example, if you are from CA like I am, I bet you were thrilled when Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger wrote you a check for $200 on the car tax he repealed. At the time I was, too, but do you really know where that money came from? Arianna researched, and she tells you just what state budget cuts had to be made for that to happen.
3) She relates to people of many social classes, speaking about unemployment, health insurance, education, etc and how our government is failing us.
4) She has some great quotable quotes, and she writes with a sharp tongue and strong wit.
5) The book will make you think!
6) She asks for a change. Arianna was a Republican at one point in her political career, and while now she is very anti-Bush, the bottom line of this book is to get out and hound the government (ANY government- whether Bush or Kerry wins) for a change in society. You can pass blame around as much as you want, and Arianna shows a few places to put that blame, but in the end, if you're not actively working for a change, nothing will get done anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Argumentum ad Hominum
Review: I find it interesting that in the pages I scanned through that I couldn't find a single fact. All I found was the fallacy of "Argumentum ad Hominum" (Argument against the Man i.e. "He's a schmuck therefore anything he says or does isn't valid") Now, granted, I didn't (couldn't) read the whole book so I don't know if she got into any actual facts that could be looked up and verified but just the fact that what I did read was so obviously skewed by emotion doesn't lend any credence with me of the facts. I am NOT a Republican but I do like my information to be clear, concise and to have the ability to be verified. I do not appreciate "scare" tactics or emotional string pulling. Let me decide what my emotions should be by giving me the FACTS!
Rating:
Summary: Proof Anyone Can Get Into London School of Economics
Review: I've met the type before: pompous blowhards who let it slip that they've attended the LSE. Well, (setting aside the intellectual sins of the Webbs and other silly fabians) it turns out that LSE will take just about anyone willing to pay full tuition, which is how they subsidize the students they really want to recruit. In return, these rich kids get to blather on forever about that scintillating course on The Rise of the Working Class or some such nonsense they took and which they beleive entitles them to tell you their opinion on any subject, no matter how poorly thought out that opinion is. Ms. Huffington is an exemplar of this sort, and I had only to scan this book at the local bookstore to confirm my opinion that she's another long-winded blather machine, spitting out empty rhetoric and cheap slogans for the zealots who cling to her every idiotic word, hoping they too can appear sophisticated and cosmopolitan even as they get drunk on populist punch. Egads, if we had the kind of populist movement Ms Huffington purports to want, it would make the mob murder of Leo Frank (see Tom Watson, Agrarian Rebel) seem like a garden pic-nic. In fact, Ms. huffington is the mirror image of President Bush - another rich dumb bunny, but she really seems to believe she knows something profound, whereas as least W knows he ain't all that smart. Take a pass on this book and read some Evelyn Waugh.
Rating: 
Summary: Less Than Stellar
Review: The format of this book is too busy: a lot of wasted pages with single-sentence quotes pulled out and printed as stand-alone blurbs; too many hypothetical speeches inserted into the text; and overdone spotlights on "regular" Americans who have been hurt by Bush's policies (preaching to the choir here, since it's likely all lefties buying the book). Huffington swerves from guffaw-seeking to self-important attempts at loftiness, and neither one really works. It seems as if she thinks that people have been waiting for her to deliver this oracle of advice to Democrats, so that we can now finally know how to take our country back. But despite her inflated sense of gravitas, there isn't much of substance in her prescriptions beyond the usual liberal fare. For funnier and more trenchant stuff, go with Al Franken and Michael Moore. For more interesting substance, see anything by Lewis Lapham, the current book from Thomas Frank ("What's the Matter with Kansas?"), or the David Corn book.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Analysis, Poignant Satire, A Great Read
Review: To clarify a few assertions from the Publishers Weekly Review, and other readers' reviews that "Fanatics and Fools" only rehashes other so called "anti-Bush" books, this is true in the sense that there is so much material and research to comb through, analyze, and write about so people understand the unprecedented breadth, severity and sheer quantity of the destructive policies of this administration. Inasmuch as there is an enormous amount for various authors to cover, then yes, it does resemble other anti-bush books in that it, too, dissects the misguided behavior of Bush and Co. Her book differs from others, though, in the clever and laugh-out-loud funny way that this is executed, and also in Huffington's well thought out prescription for Kerry to redefine the debate in this country and offer something better and bigger than the failed democratic campaigns of recent years. In short, if Kerry campaigns on the terms that Rove is trying to lay out and plays defense, he will inspire no one, and will suffer defeat in November. If he offers voters a completely alternative form of leadership, redefined priorities, and a new vision for the country, then he can win by inspiring the 50% of voters who have given up on voting in this country, as opposed to the "tried-and-untrue" failed swing voter strategy that has plagued the democrats and kept them playing Republican-lite for years. (This leads to the central thesis of the "Fools" portion of her work).
And to clarify the so-called "tastelessness" of the joke involving premature babies making campaign contributions, this is a perfect example of how distorted humor can become when taken completely out of context. The section was based on an ACTUAL frequently-asked questions memo sent to fundraisers for the Bush-Cheney `O4 reelection committee that covered every minute detail of campaign laws in order to stretch them as far as possible to allow the most unethical but borderline legal cash-collecting possible. The joke was a hilarious hyperbolic satire and far from being tasteless was a brilliant way to point out the ridiculous lengths the Bush-Cheney campaign has gone to beef up its war chest. In short, read the book and decide for yourself if it is recycled Bush-bashing and tasteless joke-making or refreshing and educational analysis, with a healthy and strong dose of poignant and hilarious satire that most others are too afraid to write.
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