America's Man on Horseback: A Fable?

Rating:
Summary: America under a dictator
Review: I read this book on the advice of my physics professor, who talked about it during class one day. The premise is surprisingly plausible, even if some of his ideas aren't (particularly the idea that Canada, sans Quebec, would just jump at the opportunity to become part of America). Still, some ideas in the book are gold: reducing the size of the Cabinet to seven, for example. While my particular political leanings are Libertarian in nature, and most of what's in here is... not, there are a few gems waiting for some President who really is interested in improving the quality of life through better (read: less) government to use.

Rating:
Summary: America under a dictator
Review: I read this book. As a matter of fact, I went over it twice. To me it is a fact that the American society in general is going down the tube. Whether or not by the year 2013 we will be at the stage the book describes, remain to be seen. What I could not fully comprehend was the author's hidden message regarding the personality, character and ethnicity of the new president. At times I felt that the author is implying that this president is obviously White and that the White race is the superior race and we must give thanks to the fact that a White man saved the nation! He directly states that the teachers (if females) must be White and not obese. I only wondered what was the logic. There are other issues that seem more or less on target eventhough they are presented in a radical way. At times he appears to be condescending when talking about other races.

In summary, if Mr. Odom's predictions become a reality (and they certainly may)I hope by that time he will not be running for office!

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for all Public Servants!
Review: Odom's satire is sharp - and often right on the money. This book is funny and frightening at the same time. He highlights well how far we've come, and where we might be headed!
-- a tenth generation spendthrift

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for all Public Servants!
Review: Odom's satire is sharp - and often right on the money. This book is funny and frightening at the same time. He highlights well how far we've come, and where we might be headed!
-- a tenth generation spendthrift

Rating:
Summary: This is a book for the thinker written by a prophet.
Review: To better understand the contents of a book it is useful to know something of the background of the author. As a person in educational leadership, I had an opportunity to get to know Guy Odom after I completed a prepublication review of his first book: MOTHERS LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS. It is an understatement to say that Guy Odom is an unusual person of extraordinary abilities. He has achieved financial success and he is to a large extent self educated. He is a thinker, a prophet, a voracious reader, and a person with an encyclopedic knowledge of America's past coupled with a passionate concern for America's future.

Since Guy has expressed to me that AMERICA'S MAN ON HORSEBACK was intended to be satirical in nature, it is probably appropriate to quote from Voltaire's 1775 story entitled Memory's Adventure. Voltaire says: "The thinking human race is at most the hundred-thousandth part of the human race." He further states on the next page: "Satires correct no one, irritate fools, and make them more wicked." From the content of these quotations I would hesitate to predict or to recommend that AMERICA'S MAN ON HORSEBACK would or should be read by extensive numbers of readers. Guy Odom's vast background of knowledge makes it difficult at times for even the critical reader to determine those parts which are intended to be satirical and those which are intended to represent serious recommendations. A considerable portion of the book's appeal relates to the rigor one must put forth in order to achieve some semblance of understanding in relating the suggested solutions to the perceived problems. Parts of the book appear to be hilarious, yet one who has contemplated the current state of affairs in the United States and pondered where the country is headed will find a sobering sense of trepidation in the conditions (of the not too distant future) identified by Odom.

Various segments of the population will no doubt be offended by the commentary. In reference to politicians Odom does not hesitate to broadly proclaim a general state of the emperor's lack of clothing. Lawyers represent another group often impaled by his barbed wit.

Whatever the reader may conclude regarding the proclamations, predictions, and solutions proferred by Odom, the process of reading the book leads one through an inclement operation of cerebal activity. I read AMERICA'S MAN ON HORSEBACK several months ago and I still find the contents fascinating.