Rating: 
Summary: Good News--Liberalism is Curable!
Review: As someone whose brief flirtation with liberalism fortunately ended in high school, I am always glad to welcome converts to the fold. While I expected the book to offer a good bit of insight into Stein's own conversion, I was nearly shocked (and definitely elated) by his damning critique of the intolerance and hatred that form the basis of modern liberalism in this country. Everyone who ever voted for Clinton and politicians of that ilk should be forced to read this book from cover to cover, with no interruptions, until he is prepared to shriek and repent his misguided ways.
Rating: 
Summary: right questions, wrong answers
Review: Stein's book provides an intro to the conservative point of view on many hot button issues. He asks the right questions, especially challenging an excessively liberal media that applies <liberal filters> to information, making sure that only those facts that support the liberal viewpoint are published.However, the book is deeply flawed in that Stein is guilty of all the same sins as the rest of the media. Stein's deeply emotional response on these issues reflects the same cloudy thinking of the radical liberals he attacks. Well OK, maybe not as cloudy as some, but you get the point. Stein appears to live in a very small and (to me) strange world that is dominated by media types. In an early chapter he's bemoaning the sad state of marriage in this country, and reading his words one would be led to believe that only a small minority of marriages actually succeed. Maybe that's true among his circle, but the fact is that 2/3 of all first-time marriages do NOT end in divorce. For those that do, my experience is that the couples chose to divorce only as a last resort. This doesn't sound so bad to me, since its clear that the world is better off when bad marriages are allowed to end. Stein really goes after the feminists tooth and nail. I'll agree with him that they have some answering to do, but his discussion doesn't feel balanced. I can understand this to a degree - Stein is evidently attacked by feminist types on a regular basis. But it detracts from the quality of the discourse. I could say similar things about his discussion of affirmative action. For example, to support his view he repeats the unsubstantiated claim of a friend that he was turned down for a job because of his politics. Again, the left is guilty of such tactics, but that doesn't justify them here. And then there's the chapter where (against his wife's better judgement) Stein numbers the sexual exploits of his youth. This was so embarassing that I almost put the book down right there. Harry, you should listen to your wife more often. To conclude, Stein raises the right issues, but he doesn't raise the level of the conversation.
Rating:
Summary: I wish I'd have written it
Review: A superb book. Cuts through the potpourri of the politically-correct, biased media and their intollerant, liberal agendaed pundits like a gale of fresh air. Stein writes about what has been anecdotally evident to independent thinkers for years but backs it up with well researched facts. I believe that the most important lesson Mr. Stein conveys is that regardless of idiology, one must be willing to at least entertain the opposing views. Because of this, I believe that this book should be a must read for high school and college students, although I can see why it may not be well received by their professors.
Rating: 
Summary: Zzzzzzz...
Review: The most impressive thing about this book is that someone actually saw fit to publish it. There is nothing new nor interesting here. At best, it reads like something that would have been written by the offspring of Howard Stern and Maureen Reagan. Whatever your ideology, save your money for something worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of time and intellect
Review: The tone of the other reviews says it all. If you're a fan of Dr. Laura or others who love to hate, then you'll like this book. I was hoping to find provocative arguments but came away disappointed. The author's attempts to prove his "liberal" roots are laughable. The title of the book should be How I Purposefully Joined the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy so I Could Make Money.
Rating:
Summary: This is what happens when you grow up and keep an open mind.
Review: I'm reminded of a great quote: "If you're not a liberal at 20, you're heartless; and if you're not a conservative at 40, you're brainless." Mr. Stein portrays the long process that brought him along that route. The key is that he kept an open mind, was willing to constantly question idealogies (both left and right) and tries to fit his beliefs into a framework that includes morality and honesty. He concludes that, on many issues, a moral and honest person cannot accept many of the precepts of today's liberals. The incredible hypocrisy of feminists defending Bill Clinton; the unwillingness to make a moral judgement on anyone or anything; the complete and unthinking dismissal of ideas and people on the right - these all made him question his long held beliefs. And, as a father of three, I share his view that much of what we see in the popular culture today is frightening or sickening or both. When he talks about he and his wife trying to send the children from the room for the worst parts of Seinfeld and other "famiy hour" comedies, I laughed in appreciation. And I sympathize when he talks about former friends who now treat him with disdain. I also admire his courage in making his views known. A great book with lots of humor. Easy to read, but not easy to forget.
Rating:
Summary: I want my money back
Review: Intellectuals can either know a whole lot about one thing, or very little about a lot of things. The second part of that statement describes most journalists. With no particular training in anything, journalists want to comment on everything, and end up saying nothing. I wanted dearly to enjoy this book. My hope was that I had found a witty, comedic read that would give me a good laugh about my own capitulation to conservatism, a.k.a. the right-wing conspiracy. But, folks, the verdict is that this book is not funny, nor does it make one think. I can't recommend it. (I want my money back.) This is the kind of literature one finds at airport bookstores. Please allow me to make my case: After reading An Illiberal Education (D'Souza), Who Stole Feminism? (Sommers) and The End of Racism (D'Souza), Stein's book was to me a disappointment. I too swung from the far left to where I am now on the right, albeit in fewer years than it took Stein, but I found his narrative to be very dull and uninstructive. Rather it is full of drab plattitudes that will make you yawn. What is more, the funniest parts of the book have already been reprinted in its reviews. This is going to make people angry with me, but I have to say it: When Stein puts forth his analysis or commentary on social issues, his writing style is very candid. It reads almost like a conversation, with much more style than substance. (Here it comes...) I find this to be the norm in most journalists' writing, which is never more than casually informed on the issues. Frankly, I loathe op-ed articles. (I have even more disdain for magazines.) Journalists seem to think that just because they are published, they have a license-even an entitlement-to write whatever nonsense they please and be taken seriously. Be honest with yourself-how often do you read the op-ed pages and think, these people are diletantes whose most profound thoughts are the stuff you come up with while lazily mowing your lawn? The only thing most journalists have that we do not is a large vocabulary. (And even then, Stein repeatedly says "sum total." A good journalist would recognize that as a "tautology," which means 'saying the same thing twice.') Here is my suggestion. Conservatives will laugh at Al Franken's books, which are just plain hilarious no matter what your political stance is. Read them instead. Or, for a more cerebral experience, go to ww.aei.org, or other think tanks and look at what they are writing. The title of this book may be intriguing, but its contents are not.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Mr. Stein's book is, without question or doubt, one of the finest I've read in many years. Considering who he is it, understandably, is very well written - wonderful phrasing, use of words, ideas clearly expressed. And considering who he was - a '60s radical, a main stream liberal - it is just, plain unbelievable how he could so clearly, rationally and convincingly paint for us the picture of his coming to recognize how totally narrow-minded, destructive and ill-liberal are those who remain as he once was. A point he makes in many different ways and settings is one only rarely heard today from anyone but a member of the "vast right-wing conspiracy," that the underlying theme behind the liberal left is "feel good." Preaching to the less privileged that you know what is best for them and "promising" to see that it is provided, even though there is no intention of ever carrying through, is the ultimate "feel good." This is a wonderful book. Too bad only us "conspirators" will appreciate it.
Rating:
Summary: Thank goodness!
Review: I'm with the other reviewers! Thank goodness someone is finally sticking up for the wealthy suburbanite! For far too long, the wealthy suburbanite has had to rely on his riches and power and black SUV to demonstrate his superiority. I hope that this is the final nail in the coffin of that crazy "political correctness" idea, where you're supposed to be polite to people! Yeah! How dare those people try to keep Dr. Laura from sharing in our American God-given right to a cheesy "Judge Judy"-style syndicated talk show? It was good enough for Patrick Henry... I loved his show! Being mean to Dr. Laura is exactly like being Joseph McCarthy... except that he was an elected official who abused his power... but my favorite radio talk show host explained it better... let's see...
Rating:
Summary: How I Accidently Joined The Right-wing Conspiracy.....
Review: The fact that this book is hilarious is icing on the cake. It is supremely accurate with regard to the single-minded intolerance of knee-jerk liberals for traditional, conservative, moral family and patriotic ideals. It is supremely accurate as well with regard to liberal tolerance for corruption, prevarication, infidelity, crime, communism, mediocrity, etc. if it is in the furtherance of leftist social/educational policy.
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