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100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
Accompanying the anthology 'Diverse Cultures - Short Stories', this photocopiable Teacher's Resource Book offers numerous activities which feed into the study of the 13 stories. Further background material is provided and the photocopiable pages support active, critical reading approaches and support for developing writing. Guidance is given on implementing lessons on multicultural texts and in addressing the objectives of the National Strategy Framework for Teaching English.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2005
48 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Goldberg
16 books26 followersAmerican writer, journalist, and political pundit. Goldberg has won twelve Emmy Awards during his career. He is currently a commentator for Fox News and a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
From 1972 to 1974 he worked for CBS News as a producer in Atlanta; he became a reporter in 1974 and correspondent in 1976.
Goldberg frequently contributed to the CBS Evening News and CBS newsmagazines Eye to Eye with Connie Chung and 48 Hours.
From 1972 to 1974 he worked for CBS News as a producer in Atlanta; he became a reporter in 1974 and correspondent in 1976.
Goldberg frequently contributed to the CBS Evening News and CBS newsmagazines Eye to Eye with Connie Chung and 48 Hours.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
July 5, 2022
This scuzzy waste of pulp (along with similar books by David Horowitz and Larry Elder) was one of my touchstone texts as a young conservative in the Bush era. Reread it last night and, yikes. It's not that it hasn't aged well, although yeah, a lot of mid-2000s boogeymen like Michael Moore and Ward Churchill no longer seem worthy of inclusion. It's that Goldberg, with the standard pose of being a "classic liberal" whose "party left him," is your typical angry scold masquerading as a social commentator. The book opens with a multi-page rant about the time he overheard some guy on an airplane using the word fuck, and doesn't grow any more clever or insightful from there. Included are predictable rants against feminists, PETA, "race hustlers," the "liberal media" and "political correctness" which were already stale when this book came out. A great many of his articles treat as settled fact dubious propositions, like "racism doesn't really exist any more," (bold to write this in 2004, let alone to read it twenty years later) that women who want abortions are irresponsible harpies and that the Abu Ghraib torture scandal was merely a "Boys Gone Wild video." He gleefully dismisses singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte as "the man who gave us Day-Oh" and lists "shocking" rap lyrics like the proverbial Church Lady, abhorring the degeneracy of those uppity Negroes. Not to mention treating fringe wackos like the aforementioned Churchill (an historian who became a right wing hate figure for calling 9/11 victims "Little Eichmanns") as representative of the Democratic Party, smearing opponents of the Iraq War as traitors or a bizarre, rambling fake interview with Al Franken which provides the title. And in an argument that makes one's head spin, he attacks Massachusetts legalizing gay marriage on the grounds that states rights disrupt the Federal government (let's see how that plays with the 2022 right!). Goldberg includes a few particularly obnoxious conservatives like David Duke (sadly, more mainstream now than he was twenty years ago) and Michael Savage (who, for all his toxicity, has long been surpassed by Alex Jones and Breitbart) in a feeble attempt at balance, undercut by passages where he gushes over the twinkle in Ann Coulter's eye. Goldberg is still writing today, mostly as a sports journalist where he's actually pretty good; his politics, though, seem to have drifted even further to the right to the point where he's stopped pretending he's a "Reasonable Liberal." The book is useful as a window into the hates and horrors of the mid-Bush Administration, where there was nothing worse to conservatives than saying America might be losing its wars in the Middle East; then again, it's also distressing how little their tone and rhetoric has changed.
April 16, 2008
This was a very interesting read. I too, found I agreed with many of Goldberg's list choices, but more than that, I agreed wholeheartedly with his analysis:
"So, what is it that so many ordinary Americans want? It's actually pretty simple. We want a little more appriciation for the values that most of us - liberals as well as conservatives, Democrats as well as Republicans - used to take for granted: civility, mutual respect, a semblance of decency and yes...a little old fashioned love of country, too.
Is that asking too much?
"So, what is it that so many ordinary Americans want? It's actually pretty simple. We want a little more appriciation for the values that most of us - liberals as well as conservatives, Democrats as well as Republicans - used to take for granted: civility, mutual respect, a semblance of decency and yes...a little old fashioned love of country, too.
Is that asking too much?
Read
January 3, 2009I'm surprised he doesn't list himself as one of the 100 people who are screwing up America, seeing as how he identifies himself within the book, with several of the people he lists. He complains about Al Franken being a satirist, but also admits that "that makes two of us". At the beginning he complains about Barbra Walters being CONSERVATIVES = BAD, LIBERALS = GOOD, which I don't like about her either, but then goes on to list a third of his 100 being liberal politicians/devout democrats. (michael moore is number one on his list) I don't mind that. Liberals aren't all that cracked up. (or maybe they are, and that's why they're listed so many times in his book) (and I can say that since I sometimes lean towards the left) But he doesn't list a single right wing politician. Not a single one. Nor does he mention any politically involved right-wing nut. For instance, he doesn't mention Ann Coulter, who is as bad, if not worse, than Moore. He listed Jonathan Kozol, and amazing man who wrote books, like
Amazing Grace
, that concern troubled areas of America that need reform, as one of his 100 because one of his books talks about how not all children "love their country". No duh. Guess what? America isn't perfect, and it's okay to not love all of it. The point of the Constitution was to change what would need to be changed in the future, and the Founders didn't expect we would be perfect, nor did they expect that we would love everything about America, and they thought that was okay. The basis he sets much of his list on is those who dislike America. Okay, I don't like Michael Moore. I think he's a complainer and a left-wing extremist, but I believe he does much of his complaining because he wants change for the better. Isn't that what America's really about? Goldberg brushes complaints off by asserting that he didn't take a poll; this is simply his personal opinion. Yet the idea that he's making so much money off of the tripe he's writing, makes me as upset at the stupidity of those who raise this book on a pedestal; apparently we don't need Al Franken or Bernard Goldberg to dumb us down. Listening to the junk that Goldberg has to say is as distinguished as listening to either Ann Coulter, or Michael Moore.
March 12, 2007
a surprisingly fun read. liberals will probably be ticked off by the conservative tone and the following hit-list of mostly-liberal characters, but it is a pretty interesting view into just how screwed up politics and political figures (especially the celebrities who really aren't but make themselves out to be)
an eye-opener into the insatiable corruption of mankind
an eye-opener into the insatiable corruption of mankind
June 1, 2020
Last night, the city that I love, Cleveland, OH, suffered the turbulent wake of rioting and looting that has, in the past few days, struck many other big cities throughout the U.S. Vicious, callous thugs swept through the city, setting fire to police cars, destroying storefronts, and stealing merchandise simply because they wanted to.
By most accounts that I have read, the day started out peacefully. Protestors, while angry, were, for the most part, law-abiding and respectful. Few, if any, physical altercations between police and protestors ended in violence. It was only in the later afternoon/early evening, when most protestors were packing it in and starting to go home that things started to head south.
Rumors have abounded (as of now, as I write this, unconfirmed) that witnesses reported seeing buses and other vehicles bringing in people, many of whom were apparently from out of town. This is when the looting, rioting, and violence started to happen. I have heard (again, unconfirmed) rumors that these were either ANTIFA people or white supremacist groups. In the end, it doesn’t matter, because the damage was done. It made the peaceful protestors look bad and distracted the public from the real issue---police brutality.
It doesn’t help that we have a person masquerading as a president in our White House, tweeting inflammatory and horrible shit like, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts”, which, I’m sure, to Trump sounded so clever when he typed it. It’s not. It’s sickening, and nobody can defend him. Yet they do. Constantly. Defending a steady stream of indefensible tweets, speeches, actions, and policies.
This is the country I live in currently, and while I have never entertained the thought of leaving it (I still don’t), there are times that I fully admit to being ashamed about being an American.
Bernard Goldberg would write me off as being Anti-American. He would say that I’m a whiner and ungrateful and un-patriotic. Which doesn’t help matters either. Goldberg, a conservative, sees himself as a bastion of right-thinking (and Right-thinking) pro-Americanism, and anybody who spends a good portion of their brainpower criticizing or pointing out negatives about the U.S. isn’t worth listening to.
In 2005, Goldberg published a book titled “100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken is #37)”, which, I’m sure, at the time he was writing it, sounded humorous.
I read the book, and while I don’t agree with everything he says in it, I agree with a surprisingly large percentage of it.
Unfortunately, Goldberg doesn’t get the sad irony of what he’s doing in the book, which is making fun of, in a kind of mean-spirited way, people for making fun of, in a kind of mean-spirited way, certain people in government or business or entertainment or any field who don’t have similar political or religious beliefs.
It’s a tragically vicious cycle, one that resulted in a woefully-underqualified, grossly-narcissistic, and horrifyingly anti-intellectual person being elected for the highest seat in the land.
We are all so very good at making fun of each other. We do it in our workplaces and we do it at home. We do it in public forums and in private comments. And we are sometimes okay with being cruel because we can always simply strike back with the common excuse, “Well, they started it.” It worked when we were kids on the playground at recess, and it still works in boardrooms and factory floors and in the streets.
Except that it’s not working. Clearly. We’re seeing that it doesn’t work on the news, as our cities burn and National Guardsmen are being called in by state governors. People who grew up during the Kent State Massacre and the Vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s are all having flashbacks. The same shit is happening fifty years later. For the same fucking reasons.
It’s more than 100 people screwing up America, Mr. Goldberg, and while Michael Moore, Al Franken, Courtney Love, Al Sharpton, and Noam Chomsky may have said or done some pretty inexcusably stupid things in their careers (who hasn’t?), the name-calling and finger-pointing and assessing blame to certain groups of people has to, at some point, stop.
I know: easier said than done. But here’s an idea, Mr. Goldberg. Rather than writing about the 100 people screwing up America, why don’t you focus on the 100 people who are doing it right? Why not write a book titled “100 People Who Are Trying to Make America a Better and Brighter Place”?
It might sell more books, but it, more importantly, might go a long way in helping to improve and temper an already-inflamed national dialogue, one that has resulted in an administration that doesn’t know what it’s doing and a nation stricken with fear, anxiety, and pent-up aggression just waiting to find a reason to hit the streets and start rioting and looting again.
By most accounts that I have read, the day started out peacefully. Protestors, while angry, were, for the most part, law-abiding and respectful. Few, if any, physical altercations between police and protestors ended in violence. It was only in the later afternoon/early evening, when most protestors were packing it in and starting to go home that things started to head south.
Rumors have abounded (as of now, as I write this, unconfirmed) that witnesses reported seeing buses and other vehicles bringing in people, many of whom were apparently from out of town. This is when the looting, rioting, and violence started to happen. I have heard (again, unconfirmed) rumors that these were either ANTIFA people or white supremacist groups. In the end, it doesn’t matter, because the damage was done. It made the peaceful protestors look bad and distracted the public from the real issue---police brutality.
It doesn’t help that we have a person masquerading as a president in our White House, tweeting inflammatory and horrible shit like, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts”, which, I’m sure, to Trump sounded so clever when he typed it. It’s not. It’s sickening, and nobody can defend him. Yet they do. Constantly. Defending a steady stream of indefensible tweets, speeches, actions, and policies.
This is the country I live in currently, and while I have never entertained the thought of leaving it (I still don’t), there are times that I fully admit to being ashamed about being an American.
Bernard Goldberg would write me off as being Anti-American. He would say that I’m a whiner and ungrateful and un-patriotic. Which doesn’t help matters either. Goldberg, a conservative, sees himself as a bastion of right-thinking (and Right-thinking) pro-Americanism, and anybody who spends a good portion of their brainpower criticizing or pointing out negatives about the U.S. isn’t worth listening to.
In 2005, Goldberg published a book titled “100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken is #37)”, which, I’m sure, at the time he was writing it, sounded humorous.
I read the book, and while I don’t agree with everything he says in it, I agree with a surprisingly large percentage of it.
Unfortunately, Goldberg doesn’t get the sad irony of what he’s doing in the book, which is making fun of, in a kind of mean-spirited way, people for making fun of, in a kind of mean-spirited way, certain people in government or business or entertainment or any field who don’t have similar political or religious beliefs.
It’s a tragically vicious cycle, one that resulted in a woefully-underqualified, grossly-narcissistic, and horrifyingly anti-intellectual person being elected for the highest seat in the land.
We are all so very good at making fun of each other. We do it in our workplaces and we do it at home. We do it in public forums and in private comments. And we are sometimes okay with being cruel because we can always simply strike back with the common excuse, “Well, they started it.” It worked when we were kids on the playground at recess, and it still works in boardrooms and factory floors and in the streets.
Except that it’s not working. Clearly. We’re seeing that it doesn’t work on the news, as our cities burn and National Guardsmen are being called in by state governors. People who grew up during the Kent State Massacre and the Vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s are all having flashbacks. The same shit is happening fifty years later. For the same fucking reasons.
It’s more than 100 people screwing up America, Mr. Goldberg, and while Michael Moore, Al Franken, Courtney Love, Al Sharpton, and Noam Chomsky may have said or done some pretty inexcusably stupid things in their careers (who hasn’t?), the name-calling and finger-pointing and assessing blame to certain groups of people has to, at some point, stop.
I know: easier said than done. But here’s an idea, Mr. Goldberg. Rather than writing about the 100 people screwing up America, why don’t you focus on the 100 people who are doing it right? Why not write a book titled “100 People Who Are Trying to Make America a Better and Brighter Place”?
It might sell more books, but it, more importantly, might go a long way in helping to improve and temper an already-inflamed national dialogue, one that has resulted in an administration that doesn’t know what it’s doing and a nation stricken with fear, anxiety, and pent-up aggression just waiting to find a reason to hit the streets and start rioting and looting again.
June 2, 2019
I had to stop reading an Ann Coulter book to devour this. It was endless nasty fun!
Yep, the 100 people are well deserving. (sadly, some celebrities are lumped together and count as one - because that's how pathetic their existence is - Actors, Musicians, Models, self-important drama queens and Kings. Hint: Paris Hilton...)
Some get listed, and don't even get a real comment: Michael Jackson! As well as Michael Moore (are they both forgotten yet?)
Much of this book is political. So numerous Democrats "who are destroying America" get top priority. And even a few Republicans who REALLY shouldn't even call themselves that.
But the liberal media gets a real good BASHING. The scary thing is: this book was written around 2005. So no Trump to blame for anything... This Fake news crap goes back decades though. Especially through JFK's time and Vietnam. Basically back to the beginning of the Democratic party.
Tons of fun to read. And most of the 100 are still annoying us endlessly today. Except Michael Moore (who was #1 on the list and now totally forgotten in history)
Yep, the 100 people are well deserving. (sadly, some celebrities are lumped together and count as one - because that's how pathetic their existence is - Actors, Musicians, Models, self-important drama queens and Kings. Hint: Paris Hilton...)
Some get listed, and don't even get a real comment: Michael Jackson! As well as Michael Moore (are they both forgotten yet?)
Much of this book is political. So numerous Democrats "who are destroying America" get top priority. And even a few Republicans who REALLY shouldn't even call themselves that.
But the liberal media gets a real good BASHING. The scary thing is: this book was written around 2005. So no Trump to blame for anything... This Fake news crap goes back decades though. Especially through JFK's time and Vietnam. Basically back to the beginning of the Democratic party.
Tons of fun to read. And most of the 100 are still annoying us endlessly today. Except Michael Moore (who was #1 on the list and now totally forgotten in history)
July 7, 2009
My mother used to tell me, 'If you don't have anything nice to say, than don't say anything at all.' I wish Goldberg's parents would have done the same. It would have saved me having to read through 305 pages of ranting prattle.
Goldberg's ideology, on which this book is premised, is not something that I want to even begin to touch on. I agree with him on many broad subjects but his ideas are presented in such an arrogant, antagonistic and sententious manner that it makes it impossible to accept them with any form of objectivity. Ironically, I have the same problem with Michael Moore, agreeing with him but not the presentation of his ideas, whom Goldberg places at number one on his list. Isn't there some old adage about not liking others for things we despise about ourselves?!
Anyways, the book offers little of substance and it's hard to take a 'non-fiction' piece seriously when it fails to cite, anything. The book is nothing but a harangue against those whom Goldberg disagrees with or finds faults in. Sure, people have their own agendas and some are a bit out there, but who is this Bernie guy to go around claiming that what any one, or hundred people are doing is right or wrong?
The book is riddled with hypocrisies and the overall tone is, you guessed it, condescending. If the author is really concerned about the demise of America, perhaps he should spend more time focusing on those who do things right in this country rather than those whose behavior he finds offensive. Or can two wrongs actually make a right?!
Don't waste your time on this one, even if you're a staunch conservative, there's nothing to gain as any arguing points are simply lost in the author's trivial banter. It's evident from a number of the sections that Goldberg spends a great deal of time watching TV which, as true scholars have noted, does in fact seem to be 'screwing up America.' Maybe he should lay off the boob tube a bit?
The only reason I dipped into this one is because I'm running out of reading material here in South Korea. I guess I'm glad however that my dad picked it up at the East Lansing Public Library sale and brought it over for me as I now don't have to worry about anyone else in my community being subjected to such flippancy!
Goldberg's ideology, on which this book is premised, is not something that I want to even begin to touch on. I agree with him on many broad subjects but his ideas are presented in such an arrogant, antagonistic and sententious manner that it makes it impossible to accept them with any form of objectivity. Ironically, I have the same problem with Michael Moore, agreeing with him but not the presentation of his ideas, whom Goldberg places at number one on his list. Isn't there some old adage about not liking others for things we despise about ourselves?!
Anyways, the book offers little of substance and it's hard to take a 'non-fiction' piece seriously when it fails to cite, anything. The book is nothing but a harangue against those whom Goldberg disagrees with or finds faults in. Sure, people have their own agendas and some are a bit out there, but who is this Bernie guy to go around claiming that what any one, or hundred people are doing is right or wrong?
The book is riddled with hypocrisies and the overall tone is, you guessed it, condescending. If the author is really concerned about the demise of America, perhaps he should spend more time focusing on those who do things right in this country rather than those whose behavior he finds offensive. Or can two wrongs actually make a right?!
Don't waste your time on this one, even if you're a staunch conservative, there's nothing to gain as any arguing points are simply lost in the author's trivial banter. It's evident from a number of the sections that Goldberg spends a great deal of time watching TV which, as true scholars have noted, does in fact seem to be 'screwing up America.' Maybe he should lay off the boob tube a bit?
The only reason I dipped into this one is because I'm running out of reading material here in South Korea. I guess I'm glad however that my dad picked it up at the East Lansing Public Library sale and brought it over for me as I now don't have to worry about anyone else in my community being subjected to such flippancy!
March 13, 2012
Goldberg takes aim - both left and right (but mostly at the left)
Just so you know, I was officially tired of the Coulter / Moore slamfest format about two years ago and I went cold turkey for quite a while. Mostly, they end up being long lists of high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the other side and while that is interesting it also starts to get silly after a while. Does either party or any party have a perfect record? No. Both have loudmouths and losers that shoot off their mouths and write insane things. I'm a Republican and there are Republicans that I would just as soon sit down and shut their mouths - they've said enough idiotic things to last a lifetime - let someone else have a chance!
Now, Goldberg is in a different class (mostly) from the partisan bashers. He avoids the acid comments (a la Coulter, Savage, Franken, Moore) and he really knows how to write...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
Just so you know, I was officially tired of the Coulter / Moore slamfest format about two years ago and I went cold turkey for quite a while. Mostly, they end up being long lists of high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the other side and while that is interesting it also starts to get silly after a while. Does either party or any party have a perfect record? No. Both have loudmouths and losers that shoot off their mouths and write insane things. I'm a Republican and there are Republicans that I would just as soon sit down and shut their mouths - they've said enough idiotic things to last a lifetime - let someone else have a chance!
Now, Goldberg is in a different class (mostly) from the partisan bashers. He avoids the acid comments (a la Coulter, Savage, Franken, Moore) and he really knows how to write...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
April 16, 2012
As good a political book as I've read in a while. Goldberg pulls no punches in reminding readers of the listed's most egregious sins (and even crimes, in some cases). From lesser-known gangsta' rappers, to far more infamous politicians (like Ted Kennedy), Goldberg calls out those listed, for their detrimental effects on American culture and government. Despite some claims, the book isn't a partisan attack of either side, and includes disgusting people from all political stripes.
The book is easily picked up and put down, read one or two entries at a time, making it perfect for a stop-and-go reader like myself. Great writing, great sources and historical evidence, and well-painted scenes of how events occurred, earn a strong recommendation from myself.
The book is easily picked up and put down, read one or two entries at a time, making it perfect for a stop-and-go reader like myself. Great writing, great sources and historical evidence, and well-painted scenes of how events occurred, earn a strong recommendation from myself.
October 30, 2007
Missa, you've gotta read this, just because I want to have a discussion about how much you disagreed with everything Goldberg writes--particularly the chapter titled "Sex Warriors" about feminists.
June 11, 2012
This book was a interesting and fun read. I found myself laughing multiple times whaler reading this book. I was laughing because of Goldberg's commentary on the world and because of the stupidity of the people he mentions in the book. Goldberg is a republican, yet he does not only comment on liberals. His list does include people such as Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, Eminem and other mainstream names. Additionally, the book does not only include his list of people "who are screwing up America". It includes commentary on bigger issues in the world.
An important note about this book is that it was written in 2005, so a lot of the information is outdated. However, this was not a problem for me as I was reading it. Goldberg does not assume that you know every person on the list. He provides in-depth detail about each person. I felt like I learned a lot about the word after reading this. If you don't share the same views as Goldberg, you will probably not enjoy this book or you might scoff at it. On the other hand, if your do agree with Goldberg, I guarantee you will enjoy this book.
An important note about this book is that it was written in 2005, so a lot of the information is outdated. However, this was not a problem for me as I was reading it. Goldberg does not assume that you know every person on the list. He provides in-depth detail about each person. I felt like I learned a lot about the word after reading this. If you don't share the same views as Goldberg, you will probably not enjoy this book or you might scoff at it. On the other hand, if your do agree with Goldberg, I guarantee you will enjoy this book.
February 26, 2009
As a preteen struggling to develop a political identity, I begged my mother to let me buy this book. Being a resident of an extremely city, I've been surrounded with liberal ideologies throughout my life. Bernard Goldberg certainly took on a much more conservative perspective than I had expected, yet at the same time, his arguments were very valid, especially when he discussed Americans who were heavily involved in the mainstream/pop scene. I do not recommend this book for the raging left wing radical expecting this book to be a criticism of conservatives, it's actually the opposite. This book brought a good balance for me, it definitely highlighted a lot of the ridiculousness and lunacies that can be present with both right wing and left wing extremists.
July 13, 2010
The catchy title caught my attention, along with a reviewer's comment: "uncommon sense about the things that have made this country great---and the culprits who are screwing it up." It is written in chapter form, some long, some very short, for each person, and clearly from a very conservative perspective. It includes people such as Al Sharpton, Barbra Steisand, Howard Dean, Dan Rather, John Edwards, Bill Moyers, John Kerry, Gloria Steinem, Ken Lay....the list goes on and on....100 names, in fact! Some interesting, some not. And not just politicians and liberal icons, but also celebrities and uber-liberal college professors. The top four on the list are: Michael Moore, Arthur Sulzberger, Ted Kennedy and Jesse Jackson....'nuf said.
August 10, 2016
This book was pretty infuriating for me as a liberal to read. Goldberg is obviously guilty of generalizations. However, I think everyone - liberals and conservatives - should read this book, or a variation on the theme. It's important for everyone to read and listen to opinions contrary to their beliefs. If you read something that challenges your beliefs, that's good! After all, Goldberg did have some good points.
On another note, I read this maybe a year or more ago, but started rereading this morning. I'm already more than half-way through, so it's an easy read, and definitely worth it.
On another note, I read this maybe a year or more ago, but started rereading this morning. I'm already more than half-way through, so it's an easy read, and definitely worth it.
July 11, 2012
Considering that I tend to lean toward the liberal spectrum, and Mr. Goldberg expressed a great deal of contempt for liberals at the beginning of his book, I was prepared to dislike it completely. I kept an open-mind and read the book from cover-to-cover. I was surprised to agree with so many of Mr. Goldberg's choices. Not because I had any prior knowledge of many of these individuals, but because of the way in which he made his case for including each of them. I don't think political leaning comes into (or should come into) play at all. This book should be read with an open mind (as should all books).
May 18, 2013
Because I enjoyed Bias so much, I was especially surprised to find this book so mediocre. Perhaps it really is true that saying negative things never impresses, but I think the main obstacle is this format. Goldberg can only be superficial in commenting on a field of 100 people. It would have been more impressive if he had stuck to his opening chapters about the various types of people who are screwing up America. I also disagree with his world view more than I expected. His views are in lock step with the neocon advocacy of the war in Iraq, and he sees little abuse of power by the conservative regime.
July 1, 2011
Pretty much, if you were a liberal, you were on the list. He treated liberal as if it was a word filled with venom, spitting it out like a conservative may have spit out hippy during the 60s. Yes, he did make some valid points. But then he also made mountains out of molehills, and didn't listen to science. Suggesting a maker of video games (ie. Grand Theft Auto) was increasing violence was rather amusing.
I won't lie though, I liked how he disliked rap...
Overall, he's petty, and hates liberals. Whatever. Read once. Don't read again.
I won't lie though, I liked how he disliked rap...
Overall, he's petty, and hates liberals. Whatever. Read once. Don't read again.
May 20, 2008
#22 is Mother Theresa. Bernie says, "The good sister was a far left loonie of the first order. If she had only left the untouchables of India to their own devices, the magical, unicorned, invisible hand would have lifted them out of abject poverty and class discrimination and straight into the good life like the mining youths in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.'" I'm only kidding. Bernie would never recognize potential of any kind from a non-American.
June 15, 2010
This book (I listened to the audio book twice)is a primer on 100 prominent Americans and the author's view of how they have tainted our culture. Very eye-opening. Between the first and second times I listened to it, Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Jimmy Swaggart, Ted Kennedy and Ken Lay all died, so I suppose the new title should be "95 Americans....". I wholeheartedly agree with Bernie on his choices. Our country and culture are on life-support and we need to change that!
August 13, 2010
In #80 Kitty Kelley, the author includes a quote from Ronald Reagan. The former president responded to a book Kelly wrote about him, saying a "point-by-point denial of the book's many outrages" would "provide legitimacy to a book that has no basis in fact and serves no decent purpose." Change "outrages" and "no basis in fact" to "gross generalizations" and "lack of cited references" and you have my review of this book.
April 7, 2017
Rating - 7.7
Yet again another left-bashing book that undermines Goldberg's credibility of being a fair writer; Also repetitive in that the names change but the message of excessive feminism & liberalism is the same
Saving grace of the book is the knowledge of events & people that was learned; There are some solid points to make but his 'cry wolf' approach cannot be taken seriously - a top 100 wo George W. ?
Yet again another left-bashing book that undermines Goldberg's credibility of being a fair writer; Also repetitive in that the names change but the message of excessive feminism & liberalism is the same
Saving grace of the book is the knowledge of events & people that was learned; There are some solid points to make but his 'cry wolf' approach cannot be taken seriously - a top 100 wo George W. ?
July 6, 2010
Oh please, Michael Jackson was screwing up America. I think Bernard Goldberg gives him and a whole host of other people way too much credit. Michael Moore is the number 1 person screwing up America according to Goldberg. Really. He blames everything on cultural elites (who exactly are they?) who are liberals and tars all with a broad brush. Superficial.
August 10, 2010
I thought this book was hilarious. And it's some pretty useful insight into some topics that get talked about quite a bit.
Some of the people on the list and their "reasons" for it are just too funny. Some are completely deserved no matter what your views. And of course some choices will be controversial and some that might shock.
Either way it was an entertaining read.
Some of the people on the list and their "reasons" for it are just too funny. Some are completely deserved no matter what your views. And of course some choices will be controversial and some that might shock.
Either way it was an entertaining read.
November 16, 2016
If you're under the age of 60, I would recommend not wasting your time reading this book. There is NOTHING here. I knew this book wouldn't be for me. But I thought I might learn something or even get a good laugh. NOPE.
November 15, 2019
Either you agree or disagree, it's an opinion book. But it was interesting to read the political stand points of a book from over ten years ago, and find it similar to political stand points of today. He made some good points, and then some weird and obsessive points.
June 16, 2017
Ehh. Person after person reviled by the author. Not to say that making the list for many was not well-deserved. But listening to so many names and reasons and negative opinion one after the other was too much to take. Can't really take the information anywhere, as in seek more info on a person, etc. due to the obvious personal feelings ranted out by the author.
February 27, 2017
First things first, this is a book that discusses politics and some of their pundits. To readers who are looking for Christian nonfiction then I don't recommend this book to you. Personally I find it strange when people pick up political books and expect a 'certain approach' because the author may call himself/herself a Christian. Sadly, there is a very rough and disheartening side of politics. If you are familiar with politics, you will know what I'm talking about .
okay, moving forward.
This book was written over a decade ago, but it may as well be written today.
The author first gives relevant background: For example, how family values and common decency are rejected by liberal elites, how conservatives are treated when they disagree, and how there is (strategically) a lack of differing opinions within faculty in educational institutions resulting in homogeneous professors (liberals) who uphold and push a lack of objectivity to the students. (I wondered about the crisis on college campuses!) Also, the author (an accomplished journalist) exposes through this list what liberalism is and has become: vile, controlling, violent, and chronically contradicting. But those of us who have been paying attention already know this to be true.
The author continues by giving his list of the people that are in his opinion, ruining America. There are individuals who identify as conservatives on the list, however, many of those identified are leftists which is hardly a surprise. The author highlights repugnant and bad behavior by many of these people. It also showed that constant character assassinations from many elite leftists and their trickled down followers are nothing new. Its been their strategy for years when they can not offer any diversity of intellect. To many leftists, their opponents are Nazi's who are racists, bigots, sexists..etc... and they must therefore run those people out of business, out of town, and into the ground. How strange: This book was written during the time President's Bush served as the 43rd president and it was the same thing.
To questions and discussions of policy liberals generally respond:
"he's racist"
"he's a bigot"
"he's a Nazi and all his supporters are as well!"
.........and other endless name calling. hmmm sound familiar? I mean do democratic loudspeakers have anything new? when Mitt Romney ran against Obama, it was the same thing. Its like a nonsensical Ferris wheel with a broken power button, and its getting real old.
There is a lot of things I discovered and cross referenced while reading this book. It is just way too much to discuss here. Overall, I enjoyed reading a little bit of background into (some) people and getting some understanding. I'm surprised that this author's career continued after writing this book. I think he went on to write others. Sadly, Liberals have a way of destroying the careers of those that they disagree with.
If you are disgusted by the current political climate and you want another book to confirm why, then you can read this.
okay, moving forward.
This book was written over a decade ago, but it may as well be written today.
The author first gives relevant background: For example, how family values and common decency are rejected by liberal elites, how conservatives are treated when they disagree, and how there is (strategically) a lack of differing opinions within faculty in educational institutions resulting in homogeneous professors (liberals) who uphold and push a lack of objectivity to the students. (I wondered about the crisis on college campuses!) Also, the author (an accomplished journalist) exposes through this list what liberalism is and has become: vile, controlling, violent, and chronically contradicting. But those of us who have been paying attention already know this to be true.
The author continues by giving his list of the people that are in his opinion, ruining America. There are individuals who identify as conservatives on the list, however, many of those identified are leftists which is hardly a surprise. The author highlights repugnant and bad behavior by many of these people. It also showed that constant character assassinations from many elite leftists and their trickled down followers are nothing new. Its been their strategy for years when they can not offer any diversity of intellect. To many leftists, their opponents are Nazi's who are racists, bigots, sexists..etc... and they must therefore run those people out of business, out of town, and into the ground. How strange: This book was written during the time President's Bush served as the 43rd president and it was the same thing.
To questions and discussions of policy liberals generally respond:
"he's racist"
"he's a bigot"
"he's a Nazi and all his supporters are as well!"
.........and other endless name calling. hmmm sound familiar? I mean do democratic loudspeakers have anything new? when Mitt Romney ran against Obama, it was the same thing. Its like a nonsensical Ferris wheel with a broken power button, and its getting real old.
There is a lot of things I discovered and cross referenced while reading this book. It is just way too much to discuss here. Overall, I enjoyed reading a little bit of background into (some) people and getting some understanding. I'm surprised that this author's career continued after writing this book. I think he went on to write others. Sadly, Liberals have a way of destroying the careers of those that they disagree with.
If you are disgusted by the current political climate and you want another book to confirm why, then you can read this.
November 22, 2020
Funny and both true and serious.
April 30, 2015
Where to start with a review of a now outdated book?
First, it's people bashing, which while sometimes can be entertaining, really takes a certain type of fortitude. I do not have such fortitude. Instead, I would read an entry or two, put it down, and go do something else. Something happy. Like play with the kittens for a couple hours. (This leads me to believe they liked the book more than I did, selfish little fluffballs.)
Second, it's a lot of ranting about how terrible a specific person is and why. I like the fact that Goldberg didn't pull any punches with the who and why. He stated names, outlined why, quoted their own words to illustrate his point. Between quotes he ranted about why this was tearing apart the very fabric of society -- and that got tedious after the 20 or 30th name.
Being politically inept in this country, I didn't know which ones were far left liberals and which ones were far right wing conservatives unless he said. Verily, it seemed that he was attacking each side of the crazy spectrum with equal zeal, but tallied up their was likely a higher liberal count.
Third, Goldberg, for all his quoting and his ranting about accountability, couldn't be arsed to actually cite any of his sources. And, frankly, I couldn't be effed to go fact check every single one. I only looked at a few that I was most incredulous about, which seemed solid. But, did I take anything at face value? No. Any why should I when he couldn't be arsed to actually follow through with the evidence that raised his ire in the first place? Seriously a huge mistake if you want to throw facts and quotes around and be taken seriously. Or, did he not take a lesson from the CBS nailing W to the wall rant that he wrote in the book?
This lack of citation and holding yourself accountable is really what got me. If you're going to go through and quote people, things, and incidences, make the evidence readily available or at least easy to search for. Since Goldberg didn't, I couldn't take any of this seriously. The more I read, the more it became a colossal waste of time and energy.
All in all, it could have been an entertaining book in very small doses. 100 names of people who are cocking things up and how was more than tedious. I manage to get to about #20 before I decided to call it quits. It makes me want to go read something with rainbows and unicorns just to combat a small fraction of the negativity. Or maybe just a good piece of fiction.
First, it's people bashing, which while sometimes can be entertaining, really takes a certain type of fortitude. I do not have such fortitude. Instead, I would read an entry or two, put it down, and go do something else. Something happy. Like play with the kittens for a couple hours. (This leads me to believe they liked the book more than I did, selfish little fluffballs.)
Second, it's a lot of ranting about how terrible a specific person is and why. I like the fact that Goldberg didn't pull any punches with the who and why. He stated names, outlined why, quoted their own words to illustrate his point. Between quotes he ranted about why this was tearing apart the very fabric of society -- and that got tedious after the 20 or 30th name.
Being politically inept in this country, I didn't know which ones were far left liberals and which ones were far right wing conservatives unless he said. Verily, it seemed that he was attacking each side of the crazy spectrum with equal zeal, but tallied up their was likely a higher liberal count.
Third, Goldberg, for all his quoting and his ranting about accountability, couldn't be arsed to actually cite any of his sources. And, frankly, I couldn't be effed to go fact check every single one. I only looked at a few that I was most incredulous about, which seemed solid. But, did I take anything at face value? No. Any why should I when he couldn't be arsed to actually follow through with the evidence that raised his ire in the first place? Seriously a huge mistake if you want to throw facts and quotes around and be taken seriously. Or, did he not take a lesson from the CBS nailing W to the wall rant that he wrote in the book?
This lack of citation and holding yourself accountable is really what got me. If you're going to go through and quote people, things, and incidences, make the evidence readily available or at least easy to search for. Since Goldberg didn't, I couldn't take any of this seriously. The more I read, the more it became a colossal waste of time and energy.
All in all, it could have been an entertaining book in very small doses. 100 names of people who are cocking things up and how was more than tedious. I manage to get to about #20 before I decided to call it quits. It makes me want to go read something with rainbows and unicorns just to combat a small fraction of the negativity. Or maybe just a good piece of fiction.
January 30, 2012
I’m sure most (okay all) liberals will not enjoy this book. With that being said, I really do hate how the sides fight each other and really do wish we could find a common ground.
People who I am surprised to find on the list:
100. Rick and Kathy Hilton (who cares?)
95. Courtney Love (again who cares?)
81. Tim Robbins
61. Michael Savage (conservative talk radio – I was just surprised to find him on here)
People I agree should be on the list:
98: Sheila Jackson Lee (unfortunately this woman is my representative. She is an idiot. The point made in the book is she thinks more hurricanes should be named after black people. The hurricanes names are racists now…)
71. Linda Hirshman (an annoying feminist, this woman is a piece of work)
26. Dr. Martin Haskell (horrible man who came up with partial-birth abortion)
People I disagree with who are on the list:
91: Barbara Streisand (You don’t mess with Babs)
56. Diane Sawyer
People who I am surprised to find on the list:
100. Rick and Kathy Hilton (who cares?)
95. Courtney Love (again who cares?)
81. Tim Robbins
61. Michael Savage (conservative talk radio – I was just surprised to find him on here)
People I agree should be on the list:
98: Sheila Jackson Lee (unfortunately this woman is my representative. She is an idiot. The point made in the book is she thinks more hurricanes should be named after black people. The hurricanes names are racists now…)
71. Linda Hirshman (an annoying feminist, this woman is a piece of work)
26. Dr. Martin Haskell (horrible man who came up with partial-birth abortion)
People I disagree with who are on the list:
91: Barbara Streisand (You don’t mess with Babs)
56. Diane Sawyer
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