Who's Looking Out for You?

Rating:
Summary: An accomplished liar
Review: As part of the right wing "scream machine" Bill attempts to win over people with his "common sense" approach. What is missing here is a guide to all of the misinformation and outright lies that regularly get through the rhetoric that makes up the bulk of his statements. It might not be fair to say he is a liar since he is so damn ignorant.

The fact is that he doesn't really care what the truth is if it is inconvenient or contradictory to one of is over-inflated opinions. To call him a journalist or to connote any relationship to journalism is to make a scurrilous statement against people that actually work to research and report what is happening in the world as opposed to his sick fantasy dreamland.

Rating:
Summary: A new year's-like resolution on what to avoid to live better
Review: Do you get angst just thinking abut your upbringing? Do you get intoxicated regularly? Are any of your friends bad seeds? If you're a parent---do you think of yourself as your child's friend? If you can answer yes to such statements then this is a book for you. Who's looking out for you, thus, is not necessarily for everyone. It's thesis is basically that if you want to live in a nanny state & be coddled, then move to Europe. But, if you live in the USA & like the idea of doing so, then don't expect for many others to be looking out for you. The justice system---O'Reilly states---won't be looking out for you. Neither will lawyers in the USA; nor the Catholic Church; nor the likes of Jesse Jackson types---who only look out for themselves; nor the media; nor schools. Who SHOULD be looking out for you include your parents, as well as--hopefully---some close friends. And as a parent, one should be a Parent, NOT a friend to one's child, because a child has nobody to look after him/her except a parent---and it's not possible to accomplish both in Mr. O'Reilly's opinion. In short, this is a book about disapline: that one must proactively seek one's own motivation; that one ought to seek knowledge/read/and engage one's mind; that one ought to respect one's body (ie., to exercise, control one's weight & forgo smoking); that one ought not to associate with destructive people; that one ought provide a safe & secure refuge for one's children at home (with no abuse, drunkeness, foul language, etc.). If you have children or are contemplating such, Mr. O'Reilly sternly advises that you take the responsibility involved therein extremely seriously---and that you ought be successfully looking out for yourself first before taking this step. His book is a primer on individual self-responsibilty; common sensical at its heart, but also food for thought & worth 6 hours of your time if you are open to---and think you could benefit from---at least a dash of self-improvement. If so, do get the (unabridged) audio version instead, read by Mr. O'Reilly himself; as his words of advice are more pertinent in his own voice. Cheers!

Rating:
Summary: Wisdom with a grain of salt
Review: I never really listened to Bill O'Reilly's radio or TV show so I didn't really know much about his persona. I mainly got to know a little bit about his personality in book form, and I felt it to be refreshing.

In his first chapter he talked about how if you don't have anybody to look out for you, then hire a good lawyer to be your only friend because you are probably going to need one.

"Generous people will not associate with selfish jerks"

O'Reilly spends a lot of time in the book defending himself on issues, which can be really one-sided.

For the most part he gives great advice and wisdom that can be helpful and inspiring to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Unabashedly In Your Face
Review: If you are a regular viewer of The Factor, or listen to Bill's radio show, you will already have encountered the views he expresses here on the separation of Church and State, the evils of rap music, the high out of wedlock birth rate in the minority community. As usual Bill says it like it is with no sugar coating of the truth. There are some interesting points here, especially about the Founding Fathers' view of the proper place of religion in the newly founded republic. He also gives practical advise on looking out for yourself, and he doesn't mean by this shafting others. The parts I found most enjoyable in the book were when he talks about himself, his upbringing and career moves. O'Reilly fans (I'm one of those)will love this book, while spin meisters from the far left and far right will have a surge in blood pressure. If you are one of those keep your medication handy. An enjoyable and educational read.

Rating:
Summary: Is It Dogma or Useful Advice?
Review: Two-time Emmy Award winner for excellence in reporting, Bill O'Reilly, most appropriately describes himself in his latest book, Who's Looking Out For You, when he quotes one media analyst who stated: "O'Reilly comes off like a jerk or a genius depending on who you talk to."

There is no shortage of useful advice in O'Reilly's most recent tome, wherein he advises his readers in a frank tone (be they his followers or not), to look out for themselves, as no one else is looking out for you.
However, as he maintains, this does not imply selfishness or only looking out for "Numero Uno."
Rather, O'Reilly endeavors to present and promote a series of principles or tools that will improve one's ability to recognize who really cares about oneself as a person, and who does not.

In order to get his message across, O'Reilly describes his own professional experiences, as well as his attitudes pertaining to world events, which are clearly interwoven with the counsel he proffers to his readers. We are told to be vigilant with whom we associate, not to take everything we read for granted without first questioning who wrote it, make sure we surround ourselves with a good support system of friends and acquaintances, who will be there when we need them, become a problem solver and not a creator, keep foolish mistakes to a minimum and learn from them, develop our minds and body, practice tolerance, and try to be as independent as possible.

Granted much of O'Reilly's recommendations are nothing new or unique, and the book may have its flaws, however, this in no way detracts from the worthiness of his advice.
Without doubt, O'Reilly's writing is at times very strong bordering on the dogmatic, however, for the most part, he does succeed in pulling his anecdotes above the level of the parochial and he does effectively connect them to the realism of the larger world.

Norm Goldman Editor Bookpleasures.com




Rating:
Summary: Awesomely bad
Review: Without even getting into what a pompus hack Bill O'Reilly is 9because that would take up way too much space), I would like to say that after reading a few of his books, I really wish he would take a writing class.