Levees break in New Orleans. Iraq descends into chaos. The housing market teeters on the brink of collapse. Americans of all political stripes are ...
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Jun 10, 2008
Scot
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There is a thriving cottage industry these days of books debating the stupidity of Americans: whether the assertion is true, if so what causes it, what the ramifications are, and what, if anything, can or should be done.
This is also a hot topic, increasingly, in the popular press. The lead story in the July/August 2008 _Atlantic_ asks "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?" and the answer argued with supporting evidence is, in brief, yes, while on the same newsstand (for those who More...
This is also a hot topic, increasingly, in the popular press. The lead story in the July/August 2008 _Atlantic_ asks "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?" and the answer argued with supporting evidence is, in brief, yes, while on the same newsstand (for those who More...
Nov 13, 2008
David
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This is one of those books that could best be described as a long, make that very long, quite interesting magazine article in the New Yorker. It made me realize that there was a good deal I didn't know about civics - but, at the same time allowed me to revel in the notion that I was in the upper percentile of people who could name- for example -the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, the three branches of government, as well as the Representative and the two Senators who represent m
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Dec 04, 2008
Lori
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Not a great read, but interesting. I was on a political obsession at the time. We are a sadly ignorant country. The book did inspire me to pay more attention to what our political leaders are doing. We are responsible for ourselves and should be making intelligent choices when we head into the voting booth. I do keep up with politics somewhat, but now make sure I read a little more widely and keep up more by watching and reading a variety of sources, being more aware of the biases of the sourc
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Mar 08, 2009
Gregg
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We're quite dumb, as it turns out. Shenkman trots out an impressive array of facts and figures to underscore the fact that Vox Populi is largely meaningless when the populi's vox is ill-informed. Of course, this is an old argument, as far as I know--Socrates and Aristotle were largely declaiming the general population's ignorance while democracy was still in its swaddling clothes. I know that, as I roll my eyes upon learning that my journalism students complain about having to follow the Iraq wa
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Dec 05, 2009
Lynn
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What I found most interesting in this book was how the author spent the entire book describing how stupid and uninformed American’s are and finished off with a chapter demonstrating his own stupidity.
Toward the end of the book he wrote of how a slide show from Al Gore convinced him of our dire situation. This was followed by a description of how uninformed Americans become susceptible to propaganda. You don’t have to be a global warming denier to recognize propaganda in Al Gore’s b More...
Toward the end of the book he wrote of how a slide show from Al Gore convinced him of our dire situation. This was followed by a description of how uninformed Americans become susceptible to propaganda. You don’t have to be a global warming denier to recognize propaganda in Al Gore’s b More...
Jan 03, 2011
Joe
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I love when a book comes along and gets me to think anew about issues I'd thought I'd settled in my mind. Just How Stupid Are We? is just such a book. For too long, Shenkman argues, we've given the "American People" a pass in politics. Liberals blame Bush and the right-wing media for so much, but don't the people share some responsibility? Shenkman asks, "Why don't 'The People' question the information they receive more?" Maybe Fox News and Talk Radio are symptoms, not th
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Sep 17, 2009
Stewart
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This is a depressing but not surprising book about the ignorance of many American voters. Shenkman, unlike many liberal and conservative commentators of the past 30 years, is unwilling to let American citizens off the hook for the mess that this country has gotten into. Yes, the Far Right misleads and lies, the Democrats equivocate, the mass media have become more and more entertainment and less and less serious news gathering, and political and economic elites manipulate people for their own ad
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Apr 14, 2010
Christopher
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"Just How Stupid Are We", written by Rick Shenkman, might be the first book that has unequivocally substantiated my long time belief that we are really stupid people. It uses political elections to portray the public’s stupidity, and how easily the masses are swayed. It lays out factual data and mixes in his opinions on how easily politicians shift the public to vote one way or the other. I love it when he states things like how the masses are more interested in Palin's daughter giv
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Oct 06, 2008
Carol
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I get tired of books that rattle statistic after statistic about how poorly educated we are, even if we really are. I was happy to read an author that rightly puts the blame on a lack of civics education, but would like to learn more about how to truly educate yourself in a post-fact world.
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Nov 18, 2011
Mike
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Shenkman argues that voters are irrational and uninformed, and that this causes them to make bad decisions. (Note the "them": Shenkman seems to think that he, himself, is one of the enlightened few who makes rational and intelligent decisions.) His solution is to increase the meritocratic nature of society: all voters should have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the world and of the "important" issues. The problem, of course, is that who is to say which issues are i
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Apr 06, 2011
Maggie
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short answer: pretty stupid. detailed answer: we can do something about it. wake up. stand up. (coffee party motto) and this book lists out the areas that we should face up to. democracy TOTALLY depends upon an informed electorate. do your job; pay attention. distinguish between reality and myths and facts and lies. it matters.
recommended but only if you truly care about u.s.
first reading 8 november 2010 (gave it 3 stars)
second reading 6 april 2011 (gave it 4 stars More...
recommended but only if you truly care about u.s.
first reading 8 november 2010 (gave it 3 stars)
second reading 6 april 2011 (gave it 4 stars More...
Mar 24, 2011
Nate263
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There are some interesting ideas here but for a book about stupidity, it is surprising how intellectually lazy it is. I turned to the back for footnotes backing up some of the more controversial claims and found a relatively short list of books without page numbers. And, often Shenkman descends into recounting what is already common knowledge for anyone interested enough in politics to pick up this book. He resorts to this tactic in a pretty obvious attempt to fill pages, the book coming in at a
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May 08, 2010
Randy
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Rick Shenkman's "Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the TRUTH About the American Voter" is an easily-accessible analysis of how our country's political culture got to where it is and offers some possible ways to help remedy the situation. A common theme in Shenkman's works is the power of myth in American culture, especially with regard to how we make national decisions. This is no exception, other than the myth he tackles is the belief in the ability of The People to make intelligent an
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Sep 14, 2008
Gretchen
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Really, I would probably give this book 2 1/2 stars. I had mixed feelings about this book pretty much the entire time I was reading it. At some points, I found the whole thing to be completely insulting and sort of elitist (but then, I would remind myself that the title of the book is Just How Stupid Are We?, and wasn't quite as offended). Other points I found really interesting. I really found the section of the perpetuation of certain American "myths" to be interesting, because I
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Jul 22, 2008
Vulgrin
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Oct 03, 2008
Oesa
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The timing of this book seemed most appropriate (especially after last night's VP debate). Overall, Shenkman raises some excellent points. He is not afraid to call it as he sees it: Americans (i.e. The People) are stupid. We make "stupid" choices when it comes to who we have elected and it is--on the whole--our darn own fault. Too often the blame has been placed on media, the politicians, and so on. Shenkman places it rather squarely on us. The main reason this has taken place is becau
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Jan 29, 2009
John
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This book is as much about sociology as it was political science. Shenkman proposes and defends the argument that part of our problem as a nation is that we are dumb. We're smart enough to put a man on the moon, but most Americans can't name the three branches of government. I particularly liked his chapter on TV and the media. While not to place all the blame on them, it is ridiculous that the 24 hour news networks show 2 weeks straight of Anna Nicole Smith coverage, and very little attenti
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Dec 16, 2008
Todd
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The author helpfully tells us that: voters are uninformed, ignorant and easily swayed by emotional appeals, empty symbols and sounds emanating from a picture tube. And this is news to a country that voted a dangerous moron into office ..... twice!?!
Unfortunately a dumb public with deeply held beliefs regarding issues they don't understand and are too lazy to learn is not exactly a recipe for a thriving democracy.
The authors brilliant solution? Students need to take more More...
Unfortunately a dumb public with deeply held beliefs regarding issues they don't understand and are too lazy to learn is not exactly a recipe for a thriving democracy.
The authors brilliant solution? Students need to take more More...
Apr 30, 2009
Joe
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It appears the average American Voter is incredibly stupid. And lazy. And not really interested in discovering more about issues than what they are told by the Party. We are incredibly gullible. Even when lies are proven to be lies there is a segment of the population that persists in believing the lie. Look at recent history. An interesting examination of why we are not the best ones to be deciding important issues, and what we can do to improve our information gathering capabilities.
Mar 26, 2011
Zach
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As we were only going to be out of town for a night, I decided to take a short book with me rather than Robert Caro's tome on LBJ (it's not easy to lug around). That book was Just How Stupid Are We? by Rick Shenkman, and I'm glad it only cost me $1 at Half Price Books. There were a few pearls of wisdom, but you have to wade through several chapters of insipid observations to find them. You're better off reading the source material, such as Thomas Patterson's The Vanishing Voter.
Aug 07, 2011
Douglas
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Shenkman looks at how Americans are not aware of many issues facing our nation and how we hold onto myths to substitute for investigation. Also he explores how the way viewer preference lead to news with a focus on entertainment over information. While political rhetoric focuses on the so called left and right divide, this author put due attention on voters themselves. I agree with his premise and will be more attentive to the issues for having read this.
Sep 16, 2010
Lou
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Just Got through the first chapter, but I learned that 80% of Regular Fox News viewers were uninformed about the Iraq War, while only 25% of PBS viewers were. I also learned that only 0.1% of Americans can name the five rights enumerated in the First Amendment, but 22% can name all 5 members of the Simpson family. I can do both. I'm not sure what that says about me.
Up to chapter 5. I just learned that 45% of Americans think revolutionary speech is punishable under the constitutio More...
Up to chapter 5. I just learned that 45% of Americans think revolutionary speech is punishable under the constitutio More...
Feb 27, 2009
I heard Rick on KUOW-94.9 With Steve Shear, and I also saw him on the Daily Show, with Jon Steward.Being a child of the 60's,I truly believe,we've become a "passive" Culture in our Politics. Locally as well as nationally.(until,possibly,this last election) but I wanted to read what Rick had to say in his book. I just got it from the library 2/26.
Aug 09, 2008
Tara
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In a word... very.
Despite the majority of Americans being well educated, informed and able to vote, many are displeased, disillusioned and dismayed by their government. So, what's our problem? (From what I gleaned) we, The People, can't face the truth, want to be lied to, and don't know enough to ask the right questions or know the truth when we hear it. To quote the book "we asked shallow questions and got shallow answers" and "As soon as you have to explain somethin More...
Despite the majority of Americans being well educated, informed and able to vote, many are displeased, disillusioned and dismayed by their government. So, what's our problem? (From what I gleaned) we, The People, can't face the truth, want to be lied to, and don't know enough to ask the right questions or know the truth when we hear it. To quote the book "we asked shallow questions and got shallow answers" and "As soon as you have to explain somethin More...
Aug 31, 2009
Beau
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Not as flippant (or as "kids these days") as the title would have you believe, this book is a fairly good examination of how people (on both sides of the ideological divide) have become disengaged and ignorant in terms of civics and their duties as voters, but it's a little thin in terms of feasible solutions and often comes across as a bit of a blog rant.
Oct 14, 2008
Liz E
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This History Professor examins who "We the People" are and why voters vote as they do. With 40% of the population unable to name the branches of government we get the type of government we have becuase We the People deserve it. Analysizes the influence of TV spots, history of the campagins of former Presidents and overall sugeest that people vote like they are voting for a Brand name. He is a bit synical in tone but believes the lack of American civics in classrooms is the core problem
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Dec 12, 2008
Valerie
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I am pretty much a sucker for a good political book. I guess I should have been able to tell from the title but basically the book drove home how Americans are continually less and less informed and not at all knowledgeable about civics. I was already well aware of these facts. I don't feel like the author did anything but drive home that point. He didn't give a lot of information on how it could change or the eventual consequences of our collective ignorance. I could have done without read
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Aug 21, 2008
Sharon
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rick shenkman writes an attention-grabbing book about the shocking ignorance of the american voter and a political system that takes advantage of our ignorance. rick shenkman doesn't really establish the link between the electorate and our government's actions. he puts two and two together, and says that's very likely they equal four, but doesn't show it conclusively. his solution, on top of that, is borderline unconstitutional. his test for voting used to be called a 'literacy test' and was
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Oct 03, 2008
Julia
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It wasn't really surprising to read about how the average voter is not very well informed and is easily persuaded by non important things like how a candidate looks in a debate or what their ads say. But it was still interesting to read just how bad it is with manipulation in politics, especially the aspect of running for office. The author was obviously a liberal and used most of his examples of negative behaviors from republicans, and several about George Bush II, which got a little annoying s
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Jun 22, 2009
Michelle
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Thought-provoking even if Shenman is sometimes short on evidence and long on proclamations. I tend to agree with his proclamations, but wish he had done more research to support his conclusions.
