Rating: 
Summary: About more than just sinning
Review: The title and introduction for this book suggest that Savage will love every minute of his sinning spree. But it turns out that this book 'reads' like seven episodes of 'South Park', where after bizarre and funny events, one of the kids turns around, says "I've learned something today," and goes on to give out the episode's moral. Savage explores his whole opinion of the sin he's indulging in, for and against. In a sense, he's much more honest and 'moral' than the virtuecrats he rails against- he's bothered to learn something about the sins and sinners he comments on.
The book is not drop-dead funny the way his sex-advice column is, but you will laugh. You will also see Savage condemn the desire for us to justify doing something that gives us pleasure in other terms, as if just giving us pleasure is not reason enough for people to do things that make them happy. The main message in this book is definitely: If it feels good and you aren't hurting anyone else, do it. The secondary message in this book is definitely: If it doesn't affect you, then mind your own business.
While it's not mind-blowing literature, Savage does have some great insights on why we need to ignore the virtuecrats and live our lives in our own ways. This book is for anyone sick of hearing how there's only way to live well.
Rating: 
Summary: Exposing "Size Acceptance" Hypocrisy
Review: I am a conservative Republican and don't agree with Mr. Savage's worldview, but thought that the author must have a fair amount of courage, too, as he published the following in the chapter concerning gluttony:(Fat girl) Teresa's marriage began to fall apart when her husband began putting on weight. "You want to know one of the dirty little secrets of NAAFA?" Teresa said. "There's a lot of talk about accepting people of different sizes and how beautiful fat is and fat people are. Well, most BBWs (fat women) aren't attracted to fat men. I know I'm not. Most of us want nice, good-looking men. Thin men." Why? "For all the usual looks reasons. When I was really big, I would look at my body and feel disgusted. I don't want to feel that way when I look at my husband's body." WOW! I wonder how much abuse Savage has taken from feminists for including THAT little item in his tome! The guy has guts. He is definitely NOT a wimp who would be intimidated into omitting that item in order to placate those who push the "size acceptance" propaganda. He exposes the entire "size acceptance" movement as a sham and exposes those who trick men to think that any woman can be attractive (while at the same time knowing otherwise) as amoral, cold-blooded liars. The average NAAFA member castigates those who refuse to accept fat when it is on them, but the average NAAFA member then turns around and refuses to accept fat when it is on other people. Feminists don't know much about the Golden Rule, do they? Two stars for humor and for courage when dealing with the female chauvinists, but no more due to the overall liberalism/libertinism of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: very good writer, but....
Review: The fact that Dan Savage is a talented humorist and a gifted writer doesn't mean that what he has written isn't stupid. It is. After all, he is first and foremost a humorist, and therefore his silly ideas shouldn't be taken seriously.
Rating: 
Summary: Superior look at our bizarre but lovable country...
Review: Savage is simply awesome. This book makes more sense than any political tome I have read in ages. Savage is honest and completely without pretense. He savages the right wing which only approves of sins they like and not those which make them uncomfortable. Highlights of the book include the chapter on New York (where he hires boyfriend and girlfriend escorts), the Pot chapter, and the gay pride parade chapter. Savage hates guns, but learns to enjoy shooting his gun. He is so honest that you can't help but respect him. He is even stronger here than in his column, if you can believe it. As a supreme court justice once wrote, the most important right in america is to be left alone. Savage agrees. So do I. Read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Catalog of Unquestioned Stereotypes
Review: Going to a fat acceptance convention to learn about gluttony is like going to a NAACP convention to learn about watermelon. Boyfriend does not have a clue.
Rating:
Summary: Dan takes on the moral majority
Review: Dan Savage brings the same sharp wit and practical outlook he utilizes in his syndicated sex column to "Skipping Towards Gomorrah", which explores pleasure and vice in our culture. The result is an entertaining, if somewhat lightweight, read. The structure of the book itself is a bit of a gimmick, with each of the chapters of the book being about one particular "deadly sin". This makes the book easy to read, although not particularly in depth. Dan does make some very good points (that not everybody who uses drugs recreationally is an addict, that not everyone is wired for monogamy), and it's also interesting and admirable the way he treats the "pride" chapter: as a way of criticizing, instead of glorifying, gay "pride" events. If there is an underlying theme to this book, it's "live and let live" ... and with so many public figures constantly moralizing and condemning other people, this is a philosophy our society could use a re-introduction to.
Rating:
Summary: The Relativity of Sin and Morality
Review: You begin reading anything written by Dan Savage expecting it to be provocative. So those who are easily bruised by vulgarity and hedonistic self indulgence shouldn't crack the book. However, in his characteristically inciteful fashion Savage chooses to take a somewhat sober look at what, based upon an individual's particular social mores, are fundamental sins. Of course, Savage doesn't disappoint his usual following and renders this examination in his typical mocking, iconoclastic style. The consistent point that Savage makes is how incredibly prevalent (cumulatively) the practice of these sins is among the solid, highly functional, hard working majority in a society that morality scolds suggest is close to collapse. Additionally, he makes standard progressive observations about the ineffectiveness and waste attempting to legislate and regulate these widespread practices costs American society -- as well as the glaring hypocracy such social legislation represents. He also makes the valid point that by damning many of these practices as physically destructive and taboo, government only adds to their allure while simultaneously undermining its own credibility. To his credit, Savage tries with a somewhat open mind to examine and experience things he finds repellent such as learning to fire a hand gun, gambling, and joining a convention of the defiantly obese. While he, and perhaps most readers, will find many of these practices sad (actually I was made queasy by much of the book) he focuses on the irony, and the inconsistency with which we define and attempt to control immorality. Interestingly, some of the most destructive sins (handgun access, gambling, relentless and subtle unhealthy promotion of obesity) are entirely legal, where relatively victimless practices such as the use of marijuana are grossly distorted, and the effort to control them generates more associated vice than permitting them would. Readers will experience some cognitive dissonance reading some of Savage's conservative views, e.g.: a somewhat rambling diatribe about wanting to assassinate Osama bin Laden. His self righteousness, and immense self assurance are occasionally grating, but this is a thought provoking and worthwhile study that makes many valid observations, and is entertaining in Dan Savage's self consciously shocking "bad boy" fashion.
Rating:
Summary: A Disgusting example of liberal life
Review: The author is a liberal homosexual who wants to debase American society and force acceptance of his immoral lifestyle. The book is nothing but a praise of immorality. Moral standards have fallen in our nation, in direct contrast to what our founders envisioned. America was not founded as a libertine or libertarian society. The founders who wrote the Constitution also wrote laws against Blasphemy, Pornography, Fornication, Adultery, Sodomy, and a host of other vices. Early Court cases reflected this moral standard. In The Commonwealth v Sharpless, 2 Serg & R. 91 (Sup. Ct. Penn. 1815). The court ruled: This court is ... invested with power to punish not only open violations of decency and morality, but also whatever secretly tends to undermine the principles of society. . .. Whatever tends to the destruction of morality, in general, may be punished criminally. Crimes are public offenses, not because they are perpetrated publicly, but because their effect is to injure the public. Burglary, though done in secret, is a public offense; and secretly destroying fences is indictable. Hence, it follows, that an offense may be punishable, if in its nature and by its example, it tends to the corruption of morals; although it be not committed in public. Although every immoral act, such as lying, etc., is not indict able, yet where the offense charged is destructive of morality in general ... it is punishable at common law. The destruction of morality renders the power of the government invalid. . . . The corruption of the public mind, in general must necessarily be attended with the most injurious consequences.. . . No man is permitted to corrupt the morals of the people; secret poison cannot be thus disseminated. We are in the midst of a culture war in which liberal and libertarian hedonists are attacking every moral standard that Americans need to hold dear. What is needed today is the same awareness that finally hit the conservative men of America in the early 1770s. Loyal to their king, they had rejected the counsel of Sam Adams to rebel against him and fight. Finally, it dawned on these conservatives that they had to become radicals; they had to overthrow the king's rule to keep what they had. And they found in George Washington a conservative leader with the perseverance to take us to victory over an enemy superior in every way but courage and character.
Rating:
Summary: Dan Savage is a genious!
Review: How can you not love Dan Savage or this book? Another stellar book by the hilarious, honest, opinionated author! I think this was just one of the most fabulous non-fiction books I've ever read! I mean he managed to make MORALS hilarious! I mean he's just priceless and if you love his other stuff you'll love this! But not to give the wrong idea that its just a funny little book it really does tackle major issues and is thoughtful, provocative, and relevant! Personally I think his points about gun control and gay pride were the best written words on those subjects I've ever come across! There's no reason not to read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Dan didn't really skip, not enough fun. disappointing
Review: I love Savage's writing. He is both funny and insightful. I have read all his books, and his column, so I was greatly looking forward to this, but it was a letdown. He doesn't really enjoy any of the sins he ostensibly set out to commit, with the exception of greed. Dan let his hair down, so to speak, while gambling. However, he did a terrible job on gluttony and sloth, two of my personal favorite sins. Dan didn't enjoy overeating at all. His section on sloth turned out to be a muddled commentary on marijuana. And even the section on lust, while one of the better sections of the book, was milquetoast. I would think a ... man could do better in this area. Overall, not a bad book, but should have been so much better.
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