The Politics of Stupid

Rating:
Summary: great book!
Review: I borrowed this book from a friend and the only thing I can say is this book is designed to re-ignite Susan Powter's career and nothing more. She rants endlessly about nothing. She is simply trying to take advantage of the recent high-protein diet craze and come out with something NEW that works BETTER. The problem is, she's wrong. Plain and simple truth. I'm not saying you can't be healthy and lose weight by only eating whole foods, such as veggies and fruits & exercising. I'm saying that the high protein diets ALONG with exercise (you have to move), DO WORK and all or most of your protein doesn't have to come from animals!!!! AND the thing that critics ALWAYS manage to leave out about the protein diet is that if you are doing it right you ARE eating whole foods (LOTS and LOTS of veggies!) along with your protein. If you aren't, you aren't doing the protein diet correctly. Books like Atkins & Body For Life explain that extremely well. I've been doing it for months now, lost 40 pounds so far AND I FEEL GREAT!!!! She doesn't even make a good argument for her plan anyway however because most of the book is her blathering on forever about off-topic garbage that doesn't matter, not mention the stupid men bashing. Again, the book was designed to revive HER career and make HER money. If want to contribute to her, buy the book, if you want to learn to get fit, look elsewhere. What an idiot this woman is.

Rating:
Summary: Women's health is inseparable from politics
Review: I don't get the impression that Susan's book is supposed to be a "diet book"; it is a manifesto (or manifestA)about women's power and abilities. Susan urges women to fight back against the brainwashing assault of advertising that is directed primarily against females (the food-purchasers of most households). Her voice is righteously angry and conveys an intense concern for the health and power of women. She makes an important connection: women's health is a feminist issue, and weight management is one of the most important steps that women can make to take control of their own bodies. The fact of the matter is, women's health is being sabotaged by the diet industry, the processed food industry, and the medical establishment, for profit. Susan's argument about the "food boys" threatens mainstream ideology and will put people off who aren't awake to the fact that the processed food industry is bloated on profits from foods that are killing people.

As for the format of the book, I felt like I was reading a long zine rather than a glossed up volume from a major publishing company. The fonts, lack of chapter breaks and typos didn't bother me, but I can see some people having a hard time with it. She self-published the book, which is a great example for women who would like to get their voices out: you don't need a guy in a suit to tell you that you can do it. I got a lot out of this book and have since ordered most of her other books. I have read that she is too far out there, too angry, too candid, too sexual, too radical, too...whatever. I think it's interesting that the same sorts of things were said about first and second wave feminists, and I doubt many would argue that women's suffrage and sexual harassment laws are "too radical" anymore. Susan is inspiring to me because she has a very positive, cogent third-wave message: women must stop being the victims of the diet industry and take back the most essential provinces of human power: the body and the mind. And, she looks AMAZING at 46 years old.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the political economy of women's health, and a strong admonition to get out and make neccessary lifestyle changes.

Rating:
Summary: A Freak ? Yes ....however .................
Review: I got the chance to see her in person and I laughed so hard I got a headache.She is a very well informed woman and I do understand everything she is talking about and hell would it hurt to try something new and if it is going to help your health then WHY NOT! JUST STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LISA

Rating:
Summary: thank you...
Review: I read the Politics of Stupid as soon as I received it as a Christmas gift from my parents, and I loved it! It made me laugh (I completely understand the whole not being able to sit and meditate without keeping one eye open looking around the room...I was the kid in church looking to see how many
people actually had their heads bowed and eyes closed), it made me angry at the advertisers who lie to us (which didn't take much...I always get mad at the lies they tell), and most importantly, it left me feeling uplifted, just as Susan's other books have (I've read them all). I personally didn't need the fat formula listed again (it's been in the other books), and when you are eating whole foods, it's going to be hard to take in too much fat, anyway...unless you're sitting around eating avacados (and I've never known anyone to do that). She tells you right in the book the foods that are good for your body and health, what to look for, so a restatement of the fat formula didn't really seem necessary to me. Now, I can't wait for the next book (and the one after that, and the one after, for years to come...)!

Johnnie

Rating:
Summary: Susan is FANTASTIC!!
Review: Sure she can be a little intimidating if you aren't familiar with her style, but she is SO right on about everything!! Susan has always been the most honest person in the fitness industry and I also bought her Trailer Park Yoga video from her website, and it's just as raw an honest as she is. She's amazing, and I think she looks incredible now. She says she's in the best shape of her life right now, and I can believe it.

Susan, next time don't stay away for so long! We missed your honesty and brilliance!!!

Rating:
Summary: Politics of Stupid
Review: Susan is radical, cut to the chase and honest. The book is harsh reality. Do not get this book for someone who is an emotional "softy". You can tell she is pissed off by the "paid programming" on TV because of the way she wrote this book. The Tele edits all that is the gut reality. The "diet pill companies" make a lot of money and you can bet they do not want you to know the real truth. She says throughout...just get up and MOVE YOUR BODY. This is her basic issue and to put good food into your body.
I like Susan because she sets a great physical example, but I found this book harsh and insulting.

Rating:
Summary: Manic.
Review: Susan missed a golden opportunity to spread the message of what living a healthy lifestyle can do for America. The typefaces are unreadable. The man bashing was just rude. I know she's not going to like this but Dr. Phil did a better job with his book, The Ultimate Weight Solution. I'm giving her three stars cause I really like Susan and I think she's great at motivating people. She needs to focus the energy and put it into something precise.

Rating:
Summary: great book!
Review: Susan Powter never really went away. She knows so much and has shared her views with us in this, her latest installment of wise books. Moving, eating whole foods, and using your mind to develop into a whole person is what she really teaches.
she is an inspiration, like richard simmons. but unlike him, it's never just been about the weight. It's always been about YOU as a whole, how you feel, what you use to cope, how you let others treat you... she's taken it one step beyond in this book. Here, she really goes on about empowerment and responsibilty to ourselves and each other as well as future generations by telling us to demand a better food supply by only buying GOOD healthy food.
Motivational speakers all have their different ways of getting a message across, it has to grab you in order to get you to pay attention. It worked, you are reading this. I see Ms. Powters anger and open hostility towards the food industry as a breath of fresh air. You HAVE to shout to be heard over the propoganda in our everyday live, like on tv or in the paper. How is it sane to have a commercial for a diet pill on tv during a program about anorexia or the dangers of such pills.
All Susan is offering is a dose of reality in a politically correct saturated world.

Rating:
Summary: Her underlying message is what to focus on!
Review: The Politics of Stupid is an interesting book to say the least. Sure Susan rants about men and is angry at them (if you, as a woman, were done wrong by men time after time you'd probably feel the same way.) Most people make generalizations based on their personal experiences anyway. Her style of writing does take some getting used to, and I have to agree that chapter separations would have made the book easier to manage. (Hence only 4 stars.) If you can tune out her anger towards men and some radical feminist views, you'll see that her ranting is meant to empower and shock you into listening to a great message.

Susan's message is about accountability for your own actions, learing to stop believing the big corporation, multi-million dollar advertising lies, live and think for yourself, and make a difference in the world around you.

Honestly, how can a message like that be wrong?

Rating:
Summary: Her underlying message is what to focus on!
Review: The Politics of Stupid is an interesting book to say the least. Sure Susan rants about men and is angry at them (if you, as a woman, were done wrong by men time after time you'd probably feel the same way.) Most people make generalizations based on their personal experiences anyway. Her style of writing does take some getting used to, and I have to agree that chapter separations would have made the book easier to manage. (Hence only 4 stars.) If you can tune out her anger towards men and some radical feminist views, you'll see that her ranting is meant to empower and shock you into listening to a great message.

Susan's message is about accountability for your own actions, learing to stop believing the big corporation, multi-million dollar advertising lies, live and think for yourself, and make a difference in the world around you.

Honestly, how can a message like that be wrong?