Culture Warrior by Bill O'Reilly Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Culture Warrior
Book Review: Irreverend !
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill O'Reilly is known for his positions on a plethora of societal issues. The book describes the continuous battle for the hearts and minds of children. "Control the children and you control the future." O'Reilley Tzu I guess this is a reference to a Chinese philosopher.
The author describes scenarios; wherein, parents have accurately documented critical incidents in order to set up constructive confrontations on key issues. The continuous contention between the Courts and the ACLU is described in story after story. In one case, the State of Florida experimented with the notion of assisting the poor with school vouchers for private school settings. The book describes how the Florida Supreme Court ruled against directing fees to private schools.
Private schools are an important ingredient in the fabric of American education. Take away the private schools and the public school budgets would be stressed to the breaking point. Virtually, every inner city mayor understands this inescapable concept.
The author discusses a very thorny point in traditionalism versus non-traditionalist notions and the underground culture. For instance, Dr. King was a traditionalist by the author. Oprah Winfrey weighs in as a traditionalist after having banned street rappers from her program. In essence, too few Afro-Americans wave the traditionalist banner. The book concludes that our country needs strong African-American leaders who understand the Judeo-Christian traditions, discipline and personal accountability. I would add to this institutional accountability !
Currently, conservative Christians are engaged in the struggle to recapture the American culture. The author believes that atheists and agnostics should join the struggle because our interests converge in the all-important area of American values and value systems/processes. Besides, the traditional American roots are worthy of preservation to a considerable extent.
Book Review: Mixed Bag
Summary: 2 Stars
As a German, I had never hreared of Mr. O'Reilly until I read this book.
It is basically the credo of a conservative, but not bigot American. The book is probably well researched, although I cannot judge this.
Many of his point make sense, even to a European, some don't, for example: How one can defend the right to possess and sell arms, but not the right to do the same thing with drugs. Also his constant "Judeo - Christian angle" was difficult to digest for me (America was founded on ideas of Enlightenment, not on anything else...)
My main objection is to the style, this book is written in! I am sure, that Mr. O'Reilly is MUCH more intelligent, than his writing suggests.
This is my reason for only giving two stars.
Book Review: More ammo to anger the liberals
Summary: 4 Stars
Another great book by O'Reilly. Again you either love him or hate him. O'Reilly reveals the tactics and personas behind the liberal assault on America, which liberals deny of course. Liberal need not review this book as it will only be name calling and whining that O'Reilly has you nailed. Just to show the fair and balanced side of O'Reilly, he includes times the liberals have beat him, but it has been few and far between.Book Review: Most hated figure in media?
Summary: 4 Stars
O'Reilly is a great writer. Entertaining. But something about this one makes him come off real bitter. It's understandable, the guy is the most hated figure in media, but I think he is above some of the jabs he takes here. Talks alot about his enemies but nothing about his allies, maybe because he has none. Either way its a must read for O'Reilly fans and everyone else that is fed up with the mainstream media....Book Review: Not "literary nonfiction," but surprisingly good
Summary: 4 Stars
Of course "Culture Warrior" is not literary nonfiction. Bill O'Reilly writes this book the way he speaks, in a populist style and with straightforward language. Beneath the common-person appeal lies his rock-hard backing for the individual over the group or "collective." Granted, he uses the more emotional terms like "collective" from time to time to make the reader react more strongly. Readers should not be fooled, though, by all the side stories of people, insults, compliments, and sundry soap-box philosophies written in "Culture Warrior." O'Reilly's core support always comes back to the honest citizen who works to improve himself and his colleagues, even those who disagree on various of his tactics.
Critics will say, with justifiable point, that the author spends too much time bashing particular personages (e.g., especially lightweights like Al Franken and George Clooney). This unfortunate fact tends to blunt the importance of his bashing on the more seriously undermining personages (e.g., George Lakeoff, George Soros - lots of "Georges"!). Mr. O'Reilly would have done better to allocate his criticism better. It should be noted that he speaks more kindly about some of his critics than one might expect, and likewise speaks surprisingly sternly to some conservatives (Rush Limbaugh, for example).
At the end, Bill O'Reilly boldly asserts, a couple times, the tenets of his take on the effective culture warrior. Readers will almost surely find some of these not to their liking regardless of their general opinion of the author (this reviewer cannot agree with three of these tenets!). Nevertheless, the underlying core of this book still has to be the primacy of the honest individual, and his willingness to work with other honest individuals. Get the book.