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73rd out of 568 books
—
750 voters
America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It
by
Mark Steyn
In this, his first major book, columnist Mark Steyn takes on the great poison of the 21st century: the anti-Americanism that fuels both Old Europe and radical Islam. America, Steyn argues, will have to stand alone as the world will be divided between America and the rest.
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
October 1st 2006
by Regnery Publishing
(first published 2006)
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Yes this stellar book is about demography. But it is also about civilizational will. Western civilization has given so many hard earned gifts to the world (if you don't know what these gifts I speak of are, I would humbly ask you to read anything from historian Will Durant or Paul Johnson). The question is do we have the will to preserve them? Whatever your feelings about Islam and wars, you have to ask yourself: is having large numbers of un-assimilated Muslim immigrants in Europe, people who i...more
By parity of reasoning:
- Because Columbine took place, ALL Americans are gun-crazy nut-jobs that seriously hate their lives and want to kill everyone.
- Because the Ku Klux Klan exists in America, ALL Americans are racists who want to lynch and/or enslave anyone who is not white.
- Because there are fundamentalist Christian churches in America who are anti-abortion and believe that wives should be subservient to their husbands, ALL Americans are fundamentalist Christians who are anti-abortion a...more
- Because Columbine took place, ALL Americans are gun-crazy nut-jobs that seriously hate their lives and want to kill everyone.
- Because the Ku Klux Klan exists in America, ALL Americans are racists who want to lynch and/or enslave anyone who is not white.
- Because there are fundamentalist Christian churches in America who are anti-abortion and believe that wives should be subservient to their husbands, ALL Americans are fundamentalist Christians who are anti-abortion a...more
This book is a waste of trees and space, especially in the overcrowded North Asian country where it was given to me. It also disgraces the hardback book format.
I have no difficulty reading books with views that differ from mine, but I do not read stupid books.
The preface alone characterizes the 1980s and 1990s strife in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Balkans as the fault of ingrates who refused to accept the political boundaries given them by Western European Liberal Democracies.
Of course, being a j...more
I have no difficulty reading books with views that differ from mine, but I do not read stupid books.
The preface alone characterizes the 1980s and 1990s strife in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Balkans as the fault of ingrates who refused to accept the political boundaries given them by Western European Liberal Democracies.
Of course, being a j...more
To put it simply, I really liked this book. From the writer's style and wit to the information conveyed, this is your typical "can't put down" book. For those of you who aren't quite convinced that "global warming" is THE greatest threat to life as we know it, this book is for you. The author's coverage of topics, including how demographics and Europe's general lack of Christian religion has allowed for major changes to take place in many European countries (one of my favorite quotes from the bo...more
Apr 21, 2008
Charles
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who cares about their own rights and liberty.
Shelves:
non-fiction
Mark Steyn succinctly brings to bear tons of statistics, facts and news articles in order to shine some light on the current global political issues and trends so that we can see a little further down the tunnel. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much light at the end and this is through no fault of Mr. Steyn.
I'm not one to get involved in conspiracy theories or politics in general. However, based on reviews elsewhere, I felt that it would behoove me to dive into this book. Some will call...more
I'm not one to get involved in conspiracy theories or politics in general. However, based on reviews elsewhere, I felt that it would behoove me to dive into this book. Some will call...more
Nov 04, 2007
Kenny
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who doubt the war against FIF
Shelves:
current-events
"Fundamentalist Islamic Fascism" is my acronym for the continuing struggle, what the namby-pamby call the "war" on "terrorism." But terrorism is a tactic, not an ideology, and Islam is the ideology we are contending with, and will continue to contend with, as Steyn's book so aptly points out: it's all about demographics. While the west is navel-gazing, shuttling their only child to ballet, karate, and soccer, the east is having six, eight, and ten children per family. Quite simply, "they" will o...more
Mr Steyn's main premise rests on three pillars:
1. The West is in demographic decline while Muslim nations breed at a far higher rate.
2. The West is too bulky with bloated government and social welfare programs that cannot be sustained.
3. We are too tired (what he terms "civilizational exhaustion") and ashamed of our greatness to do anything about it.
And if America cannot summon the will to shape the emerging world it will be the "end of the American moment." In the demographic section of the boo...more
1. The West is in demographic decline while Muslim nations breed at a far higher rate.
2. The West is too bulky with bloated government and social welfare programs that cannot be sustained.
3. We are too tired (what he terms "civilizational exhaustion") and ashamed of our greatness to do anything about it.
And if America cannot summon the will to shape the emerging world it will be the "end of the American moment." In the demographic section of the boo...more
First off, I have serious issues with the narrator of this book. He is the same as the narrator of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which I hated partly because the narrator sounded so smug and arrogant - I hated it the restly because it was just crap. I read the introduction of this book online and eagerly downloaded the audiobook from my library. I nearly cried when I heard the narrator's voice. I'm afraid that may have soured the experience for me.
Notwithstanding the narrator's grating ton...more
Notwithstanding the narrator's grating ton...more
Is the Welfare State leading us down the road to extinction? You bet, says Mark Stein and then he proceeds to make such a good case for that and the resulting Islamicization of Europe that he has been hauled before the Ontario Human Rights Commission on a charge of anti-PC heresy. This is a chilling and wonderfully written book, filled with Steyn's humorous barbs, directed against the timorous PC functionaries of the sort who would turn around every commode in the UK prison system so that Muslim...more
Apr 06, 2007
Ian
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone interested in current events
Shelves:
favorites
Mark Steyn argues a frightening case:
Native Europeans are not having children at anywhere near the "replacement rate" of 2.1 children per woman, while Muslim immigrants are having 5,6,7, or more children per woman. Given this population dynamic, within our lifetimes, Europe will become a much different place, a place some have called "Eurabia", as Muslims become a larger minority, then a plurality, then the majority. The Europeans show few signs of recognizing this trend, and even fewer signs of...more
Native Europeans are not having children at anywhere near the "replacement rate" of 2.1 children per woman, while Muslim immigrants are having 5,6,7, or more children per woman. Given this population dynamic, within our lifetimes, Europe will become a much different place, a place some have called "Eurabia", as Muslims become a larger minority, then a plurality, then the majority. The Europeans show few signs of recognizing this trend, and even fewer signs of...more
THIS BOOK GIVES A REALISTIC VIEW OF IMPORTANT DEMOGRAPHIC AND POLITICAL TRENDS IN THE WESTERN WORLD. THE INFORMATION IT PRESENTS IS EXCELLENT BACKGROUND FOR POLITICAL DECISION-MAKING. EVEN THOUGH THE AUTHOR IS WRITING ABOUT A SERIOUS SUBJECT AND BRINGING IN LOTS OF STATISTICS, HIS STYLE IS SUCCINCT, ENTERTAINING, EVEN DARKLY HUMOROUS. I HAVE PURCHASED SEVERAL COPIES OF THE BOOK TO GIVE AS GIFTS.
WARNING: THIS BOOK IS CONTROVERSIAL. THE DAY ITS PAPERBACK EDITION CAME OUT IN CANADA, AN ISLAMIC POL...more
WARNING: THIS BOOK IS CONTROVERSIAL. THE DAY ITS PAPERBACK EDITION CAME OUT IN CANADA, AN ISLAMIC POL...more
Mark Steyn hits a home run. He will definitely dent the minds of pacifists with this new book. His writing is literally laugh out funny and hard hitting at the same time. Everything he points out in the book is factually accurate. Islamofascism is 'THE GREATEST' threat facing the free democratic society in this post 9/11 world. Mark packs this book with factual examples and lays the regressive trends that Europe and Canada are following. Read it now and I promise you'll enjoy it, even if you dis...more
Realized what I had already known from living in Europe for 2 years about population decline in the western world. A great way for a people to take over the world these days is to have lots of kids. Great information that everyone should know about how to protect ourselves from political correctness as well.
The Canadian Steyn inject quite a bit of humor into this book, which you'll probably like if you tend towards the conservative, but which may strike a discordant note if your sympathies lie elsewhere. Steyn presents the case that radical Islam of the Wahabi strain has been aggressively exported around the globe due to the oil money flooding the middle east. While he acknowledges America's culpability in this, his main point is that American is the only country positioned to have an effect on the...more
Oct 19, 2007
Hugh Henry
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone willing to face the state of the world
Shelves:
political
The world that we know will not remain for very long if current trends continue. This book is the perfect antidote to claims that we are about to over-populate the planet. In fact, European countries have negative birth rates and the next fifty years could see major changes in their demographics. The massive immigrant populations from Muslim countries could quite plausibly overrun some of the nations of Europe within the next half-century. Steyn presents his evidence, his arguments and the inevi...more
This may be the best, and scariest, book I've read in a long time. Mr. Steyn foretells the end of a liberated western civilization as we know it, and makes you laugh about the absurdity of it all at the same time. Mr. Steyn repeatedly points out the hypocrisy of those in the media who seem to want to make sure, first and foremost, that they don't offend anybody. Meanwhile, radical extremists are terrorizing parts of Western Europe once thought to be forever serene, politically correct journalist...more
I did not care for this book. Although I always enjoy a book that at least causes you to think. Although if you really think that Europe is going to sink under a cultural revolution of islam and give up its history and freedoms, then let me tell you about some land in Florida I'd like to sell you.
Styen cherry picks info to present his narrow right-wing christian view. Fails to see that there is an exceptional movement to reign in fundemental islam in Europe. Fails to note that at the end of the...more
Styen cherry picks info to present his narrow right-wing christian view. Fails to see that there is an exceptional movement to reign in fundemental islam in Europe. Fails to note that at the end of the...more
The scariest thing about this book is the number of people it sucked into its black hole as easy as pie. I tried to find a single professional critique of the book and failed. Finally I hit the blogosphere and found the sanity debunking much of Steyn's claims.
People are taking everything Steyn says as unchecked Truth and Fact. Greatest Joke of all time. Steyn's writing style is jolted. He peppers his work with nonstop quips that add NOTHING to the reader's experience except to be an annoyance an...more
People are taking everything Steyn says as unchecked Truth and Fact. Greatest Joke of all time. Steyn's writing style is jolted. He peppers his work with nonstop quips that add NOTHING to the reader's experience except to be an annoyance an...more
I've read Steyn online, in commentaries, and magazines, but never attempted a book by him. Shame on me! The guy is a delight, and incendiary to boot. How I knew I would like this book before I even cracked it: the cover quote. Usually these things are drippy and praise-laden, along the lines of "Smith's book is a masterpiece of zippity do dah".
What does this guy put on the cover?
"The arrogance of Mark Steyn knows no bounds" - Prince Turki al-Faisal
Heh.
This is a guy who can write seriously and...more
What does this guy put on the cover?
"The arrogance of Mark Steyn knows no bounds" - Prince Turki al-Faisal
Heh.
This is a guy who can write seriously and...more
Oct 31, 2007
Dave
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Readers of Jon Stewart's America
Shelves:
current-events
Frightening view of the future, if you enjoy freedom, value of the individual, democracy, human rights, education for women, separation of church and state, and other taken-for-granted causes of prosperity that were developed if not invented in the course of Western civilization. Unfortunately, Steyn's view is well-supported and cogently argued. This would be dreadful reading except for the fact that Steyn is a remarkably funny and original writer.
Re Jon Stewart: would his fans approve of his hu...more
Re Jon Stewart: would his fans approve of his hu...more
Wow this book definitely makes you think. I can't say if everything that he says in here is true but most things really make sense.
I love how he talked about people having the will to stand up and do something. He also talked about how the welfare states are just shooting themselves in the foot and makes a really good case on demographics.
Altogether, this will really make you think and maybe want to start changing some things in your life to make a positive difference and prevent some of the t...more
I love how he talked about people having the will to stand up and do something. He also talked about how the welfare states are just shooting themselves in the foot and makes a really good case on demographics.
Altogether, this will really make you think and maybe want to start changing some things in your life to make a positive difference and prevent some of the t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 03, 2011
Allen
added it
So far, EXCELLENT. I figure this is a timely book, not only for the 21st century but for the trying days and years immediately ahead. If we're slouching to 5th Century Rome, I might as well get a clear eyed view of the tragic path.
The issue here is demographics & birth rate. Math, as an inherently utilitarian instrument (at least in application), should never drive policy; rather, policies should flow from first principles. That said, if your policy flies in the face of mathematic realities,...more
The issue here is demographics & birth rate. Math, as an inherently utilitarian instrument (at least in application), should never drive policy; rather, policies should flow from first principles. That said, if your policy flies in the face of mathematic realities,...more
One of the more fascinating attempts at explaining the decline of the West is Mark Steyn's "America Alone." Though the main thrust of the book is the threat of Islam, Steyn examines numerous sources of decay in Western society, the upshot being that we are vulnerable to the threat only because of our weakness, confusion, and self-defeating behavior.
Steyn offers the reader reams of evidence to back up his assertion that a "significant strain of Islam" (which today happens to be the overwhelmingly...more
Steyn offers the reader reams of evidence to back up his assertion that a "significant strain of Islam" (which today happens to be the overwhelmingly...more
Mark Steyn isn't a great writer, in fact his book, America Alone isn't a very good book. I think he's way better as a radio commentator and columnist. So this effort seems a bit scattershot for me. But I think it's just the kind of book that someone like me needs to have read. It gives me a handful of double-ought shotgun shells of red hot facts to spew. By 'someone like me' I mean someone with a reason to defend America in the face of all the gibberish that passes as constructive dissent.
The ot...more
The ot...more
I knew going in to this book that it would be an extreme right-of-center depiction of the not-so-distant future for the US and the path the rest of the world is taking. However, I was pleased to discover that the author is Canadian living and working in the US, and isn't nearly as vitrolic in his criticisms of society as other Conservative commentators are. Steyn's worldview is much more considered and inclusive of other English-speaking nations and their historical perspectives. Having said tha...more
Wow, what a read. Basic premise is that the post-WWII world is coming to an end around us every day and we're mostly numb to it. It's based not on politics per se, but demographics. Christians are having less babies, Muslims are having more. In another generation there will be Muslim ethnic majorities across not just the Middle East but also Europe. With little incentive to assimilate as French or Dutch or whatever, more and more of our former allies and the countries that "look like" us will al...more
Michelle Malkin of the New York Times wrote of this book and its author: "Mark Steyn is a human sandblaster. His new book provides a powerful, abrasive, high-velocity assault on encrusted layers of sugarcoating and whitewash over the threat of Islamic imperialism. Do we in the West have the will to prevail? Steyn strips away intellectual rust and PC rot to uncover the writing on the wall. 'America Alone' will open your eyes. You can't afford to look away."
John O'Sullivan of the National Review w...more
John O'Sullivan of the National Review w...more
Audiobook.
Audio: Well-read by narrator Brian Emerson. If you've ever heard Mark Steyn speak, such as when he's on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, you know it would have been a special treat if he had narrated his own book. Steyn's listenable Candadian-British accent and ability to deliver his many humorous witticisms with just the right emphasis is a pleasure to hear. Emerson is an excellent stand-in however, with his clear, well-pronounced, and lively delivery. The narrator and subject matter held...more
Audio: Well-read by narrator Brian Emerson. If you've ever heard Mark Steyn speak, such as when he's on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, you know it would have been a special treat if he had narrated his own book. Steyn's listenable Candadian-British accent and ability to deliver his many humorous witticisms with just the right emphasis is a pleasure to hear. Emerson is an excellent stand-in however, with his clear, well-pronounced, and lively delivery. The narrator and subject matter held...more
Steyn's book is based solely on the singular premise of how the Muslim world has suffused into most western and developed countries and has still kept its religion pristine and immaculate from the societies within which they have and are prospering. Steyn argues this to be alarming and baleful for most of the EU and North America continent. Steyn bases his argument on the strength of statistics and facts garnered from hundreds of news articles deploring the recurring attacks in EU and the weak r...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 2 | 32 | Feb 22, 2012 02:07pm |
Canadian born American conservative political commentator, and cultural critic.
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“Her Majesty's government is engaging not merely in Orwellian Newspeak but in self-defeating Orwellian Newspeak. The broader message it sends is that ours is a weak culture so unconfident and insecure that if you bomb us and kill us our first urge is to find a way to flatter and apologize to you.”
—
10 people liked it
“The state of our civilization manifests itself both in the non-problems that terrify us beyond all reason - rising sea levels - and in the real problems we pay no heed to [population decline]...In reality, much of the planet will be uninhabited long before it's uninhabitable”
—
6 people liked it
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Aug 23, 2011 01:10pm
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