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Who's Looking Out for You?

Who's Looking Out for You?

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $15.72
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What a ripoff!
Review: This book was a major disappointment. I generally like Bill O'Reilly, have purchased his first two books, and listen to his daily radio program. The content of this book is just a rehash of what O'Reilly spouts off each day. There's very little here that I haven't heard again and again on the radio over the past 12 months.

The talk radio machine (Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram, O'Reilly, Savage, etc.) has quite a nice book racket going. Almost without exception the books are short, simplistic, and a rerun of their shows. "Who's Looking Out for You?" is a blatant example of this. It's only 212 pages. The font and margins are gigantic (not to mention all the blank pages in between chapters). In a regular font that's single-spaced this is more like a pamphlet. As for the content almost 90% is recycled from his TV and radio show.

Let me just say that Bill is not looking out for you with this "book."

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Arrogant blithering by a supreme egotist
Review: I'll admit it, I never made it to the end of O'Reilly's latest book. It wound up on the other side of the room, propelled by a barrage of curses and generally bad language. Why? It isn't like I expected much more from O'Reilly, who on his program is as smooth, erudite, and courteous as your average howling drunk full of cheap tequila challenging the littlest, mousiest guy in the bar to "take it outside." He's an insecure, thin-skinned loudmouth, a blithering idiot who does his level best to bully and intimidate his guests on his TV show -- and makes sure not to invite anyone who might actually stand up to him. His book reads like a string of half-considered comments yapped into a tape recorder while he's in the car or kicked back with a few belts of corn whiskey, killing the last hour of the evening before he stumbles off to bed. There's no real thought, no real cohesion, nothing of any substance to his book; it was obviously stitched together by some hapless ghostwriter from a spill of tapes and beer-stained notes flung onto the poor guy's desk: "Make this into a book, you underpaid little git, and do it quick, I'm off to the golf course." There are intelligent and thoughtful conservatives out there who can make a rational case for their side of the political argument. I might be interested in reading one of their books. As for O'Reilly's piece of egotistical drivel, his book is a classic waste of paper and glue. Recommended only for use in replacing a broken leg under your couch, or for starting fires.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Our Father Who Art in Long Island, Hallowed be Thy Name
Review: I'll get to the title of this review eventually. It should be rather self evident. I gave Whose Looking Out for You two stars because it was such an easy read. I don't know if I would have been that charitable if it had taken longer than an hour and a half to read.

On the TV show the Factor he mentions, but does not name, 18 books by smear artists that attack the right and President Bush. These screeds are selling on Amazon. Com O'Reilly says, but he notes that they aren't selling at Wal-Mart where his people (the common people)shop. His book, of course, is selling at Wal-Mart. Riley says it is because the books by the smear artists are about politics; his book is not. It is self help book designed to help readers avoid the pitfalls he did not avoid on his way up. Oh really!

In fairness, Whose Looking out for You (WLOFY)does begin with a nostalgic look at O'Reilly growing up in Levittown, New York, or the Westbury section of Levittown, or something like that. He makes a big issue about being from working class roots. His idealic situation features a stay at home mom and a rageaholic father(who would have guessed). He then walks down memory lane talking about his time as an alter boy, always a little mischevious, learning lifes lessons, learning to look out for himself. He talks about the day he and his pop had it out, when pop learned that he could no longer whip his son.

Then he launches into his litany of the folks you can not trust to look out for your interests in politics. He tells the reader that all the icons of the Democratic party are untrustworthy. He excoriates the Clintons: bashes Ted Kennedy; can't trust Jon Kerry because he stood by and let the "big dig" happen. President Bush is a good fellow; but he is not eligible to read the book because he was born rich. Also, he is surrounded by tough advisors who look out for him, and the Prez wont help you anyway because he believes in self reliance. O'Reilly rues all the social programs from the New Deal on, because they tell us that we should rely on government, not ourselves. Nothing political here!

He then takes on the media. He has a special dislike for Bill Moyers and manages to make some vague unsubstantiated charges against him. He has no proof that Moyers is guilty of wrong doing, but when did that ever stop O'Reilly before? Moyers is not looking out for you, ditto PBS and NPR. O'Reilly claims NPR never had him as a guest even though he had two number one best sellers (actually Bill had been featured on NPR twice prior to WLOFY's release). Now there is the infamous Terry Gross interview so that makes three. In fact the entire liberal media is not looking out for you. He lists John Stossel, the libertarian accused of distorting data in his ABC stories, and Michelle Malkin, the right wing columnist, as two journalist looking out for you.

Anybody who has ever criticized Bill is definitely not looking out for you. At the end of his political rant O'Reilly includes a really scary account by an American soldier of the carnage of the Fedeyeen Saddam. O'Reilly's description is vivid and frightening, designed to bring George Patton to orgasm, filled with images of thousands of dead Iraqis. O'Reilly seemed to get off on it. It scared me, and I hope Al Franken never reads it. Bill definitely was in his element describing how Fox covered the real war. Funny that he so assiduously avoided fighting in Viet-Nam. I guess he was afraid that the VC might be looking for him and not looking out for him.

He then tells the reader about the mistakes he made in his career. It seems that Bill had a problem with his temper when he was younger and flipped off or told off a few powerful people. In his age he has mellowed so much.

It is important that O'Reilly discredits those who tresspass against him--all the aforementioned icons and the New York Times, and the the LA Times, The Boston Globe. His game is credibility. To enhance his, he must undermine that of anyone who disagrees with him.

I am a speech teacher, and rhetorically there are about three general ways you can persuade people: through emotions, through logic, and through credibility--or the good will of the speaker. O'Reilly panders to the emotions of his readers; its hard to be against mom, apple pie and the flag. And he knows enough to rail against child molesters; I'm against child molesters too. He postures on many consensually held beliefs. He knows that many folks wanted the Ten Commandments to stay in the Alabama statehouse, so he pandered on the issue. But those emotional hot button issues only take a fellow so far. The reason the book was an easy read was that there were no real arguments in it. Logical argument is not O'Reilly's strong suit. The answers are too self evident:the media is liberal; those who opposed the war in Iraq are unpatriotic; those who attack Bill O'Reilly are bad. He will call them liars without identifying their lies. He will allege what he can not demonstrate with fact. He needs to be seen as fair, unbiased, no spin, looking out for you. It is the center piece of his personal ideology. You must trust him. His name must be hallowed; it must be good.

I spin; you spin; we all spin. He alone is objective. Of course,
the only entity who is truly objective is God. Is Bill O'Reilly
God?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Agree or disagree, don't attack
Review: Has anyone noticed that instead of attacking his views the bulk of these reviews attack Mr. O'Reilly personally? If you don't agree with his points of view of course you aren't going to like the book. For those who are undecided read his book and another by someone else. I don't agree with everything in the book, but for the most part it is a good interesting read. It gives alot of information about things that most people would never hear about. If you are going to defend someone no mater what they do this book is not for you. If you are heavily liberal and refuse to even listen to conservative talk this book is not for you. It also isn't for die hard conservatives who refuse to listen to liberal ideals. This book is meant solely to point out some of the things that Bill O'Reilly sees as problematic in our society. If you disagree with his diagnosis then make one of your own and counter it intelligently, don't just start attacking the author personally. Of course if you can't defend your own views then I guess you are left with no other option...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Waste of Time and Money
Review: This is largely a self-congratulatory autobiography with a rehash of stories and events from Bill O'Reilly's radio and TV programs. There are some good tips - but hardly worth the effort to wade through the whole text to find them...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: for those interested in the book
Review: i often consult the reviews here for guidance in purchasing books, music and movies. When did this turn into a hate mailbox.
It's about the book!! It's not perfect or the best book I've ever read, but Bill makes some great points. He asks tough questions concerning the media, the church, the government etc. and gives his personal take on each. I don't always agree with Bill, but he makes me think. It's a great book for that reason.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I'm Looking Out For Me
Review: Top Ten Alternate Titles For This Book
10) You Can't Spell Mean Without an M and an E
9) Six Foot Four Inches of Out of Control Egomaniacal Paranoia
8) Bullying 101
7) John Gibson is My Beech
6) How to Win Any Argument By Screaming Cut His Mike
5) I'm Right, You're Wrong So Shut Up
4) Why I Love Joseph Goebbels and Roger Ailes
3) How to Confuse the Words Republican and Independent
2) Did I Say I Won The Nobel Prize? I Meant I Won a Raffle at the Hibernia Club
1) That's Why They Call Me O'Pompous

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great read!
Review: Very informative book, Once you pick it up you wont be able to put it down. It makes you think about how many people who get the top spots on the evening news really care about what the average American has to deal with on a daily basis. Its will make you rethink on who you should support and who is trying to bring you down. Bill's best book yet!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Better title: Who's Looking out for you? Not Me!
Review: Bill is an angry, self absorbed man. Deep down he is nothing but an insecure bully. He lies, then lies about said lies. It goes on and on. The only reason to buy this book is to see a very, very insecure man's political ideas.

By the way, check out the review that says that "All citizens should think this way." and says that "Give me a break....just becuase we live in the land of the free does not mean you can't put down this GREAT COUNTRY." Liberals don't hate america. We love it! We just know that it's not perfect and we all need to help it grow and become better.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't give all your money to crackheads
Review: That, my friends, I kid you not, is the book in a nutshell. It's amazing this book made it to print. I'm baffled. If you're an O'Reilly fan please try to read this review with an open mind.

The book is horribly written. The guy needs an editor. There are dozens of grammatical errors and the man has a serious problem with basic comma placement. The prose is childishly turgid. The book's about 200 pages long and you'll fly through it possibly in one sitting, if you have about 2-3 hours to spare. Even if the book was the most lucid, thought-provoking book ever written, which it clearly is not, then it would still be a rip off to charge $25.00 for it. Anyone who's looking to unload this book on you for that price is definitely not looking out for you.

I used to watch O'Reilly's show and he was a conservative, but I didn't think he was the right-wing hack that some portrayed him to be. Because after all, he had some liberal positions. Unfortunately, the more I watched, and especially with the recent Franken book, I realized I was wrong. Bill O'Reilly is in fact a right-wing hack. His liberal positions, its apparent to any slightly perceptive person, are just half-assed positions that he can point to in order to highlight his "fair-and-balanced" credentials. He's against the death penalty and he's pro-environment, so he tells us all the time. Oh yeah? Well be honest with yourselves, how many times have you heard O'Reilly passionately argue any of these issues with the same ferocity and anger he argues his numerous conservative positions? Ever?

Who's looking out for you? That's the question O'Reilly asks throughout the book. Is Hillary Clinton looking out for you? You guessed it. Hillary Clinton is definitely not looking out for you. And according to O'Reilly, here's why: Hillary Clinton was the biggest-spending freshman senator in history. She wants to redistribute your money.

Okay, this is Conservatism 101. If you are a conservative then you probably don't think Hillary Clinton is looking out for you. But if you're a liberal, not a Socialist but a principled Keynesian liberal who believes that the government has the ability and the obligation to make the lives of its citizens better, then you just might believe that Mrs. Clinton is looking out for you. The point is that it's clearly ideological. What O'Reilly is saying is that "Those who believe in liberal ideology are not looking out for you. Those who believe in conservative ideology are looking out for you." Now, there's nothing wrong with ideology(well, sometimes there is) but if Mr. O'Reilly had an ounce of integrity, which after his handling of Franken's brutal assault I'm sure he doesn't, he would immediately drop the whole independent, fair-and-balanced schtick.

Are The New York Times looking out for you? Right again! The New York Times are definitely not looking out for you. Culture war, remember? But there is someone at the Times who's looking out for you, O'Reilly tells us. His name is Jeff Gerth. Wow! Gerth just happens to be the reporter who broke the Whitewater story. Never mind that the story has been thoroughly discredited, Gerth attacked the Clintons and therefore you better believe he's lookin' out for ya! Got it?

Here's something very funny. Bill O'Reilly tries to sound hip and up on pop culture. It's kind of sad if you think about it. He introduces each chapter with lyrics from a popular song. He introduces a chapter titled "The Holy War" with the Rolling Stones classic "Gimme Shelter." But he misquotes the song. He quotes the lyrics as "War, children, it's just a shout away" when in reality it's "War, children, it's just a SHOT away." It's kind of funny that O'Reilly screws up one of the greatest hook lines in rock history, but since we're on the subject of the Stones there's a larger point I want to make. About a year or so ago O'Reilly had on a guest who wrote a favorable book on the Stones. O'Reilly called the Stones moral degenerates. He mentioned that Keith Richards did heroin in front of his children. He said, in his usual hucksterian outrage, that Americans should refrain from buying music from moral degenerates. Fair enough. But you could imagine the smile on my shaking head when I found out on Bill's website that one of his favorite bands is, ladies and gentleman....The Rolling Stones!!! Check for yourself. Go to billoreilly.com Don't worry, it's information you can access for free, unlike the profound premium services you have to pay for. Can't you guys see the man is full of it?

Everyone who criticizes O'Reilly is a "vicious hack." Janes Maslin, Lloyd Grove, The NYTimes, The LATimes, CNN, Terry Gross, Robert Reno, ABC, the elite media, the forces of darkness, the culture war, left-wing hacks, on and on and on. Please read Al Franken's book before you dismiss it. You could disagree with Franken's analysis, because he is definitely a liberal, but if you read his book I think you'll understand that his facts, not his political analysis, but his hard facts, are thoroughly accurate. I stomached O'Reilly's rant. Can't you at least try and read Franken's book?

O'Reilly doesn't need any more books. He doesn't need any more radio shows. He doesn't need any more t.v. shows. He doesn't need any more pithy emails. What he needs is a psychiatrist. Quick. Before it's too late. You might think I'm being overdramatic, but I can honestly tell you that a suicide would not surprise me. Don't get me wrong, I don't like O'Reilly and for a while it was great watching O'Reilly get his, but for godsakes I'm not a sadist. Enough is enough. If I could hug Bill and tell him things will be all right, I just might. Because after all, I'm a liberal.


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