The Joy of Hate by Greg Gutfeld @crownpublishing #bookreview

The Joy of Hate 
by Greg Gutfeld 
(2012 Crown Forum/Crown Publishing)

How do you feel about the current political situation in America? I am thoroughly fed up with the polarized posture of both parties. I tend to be an independent and am always hoping for politicians and commentators who can offer a balanced agenda to restore the greatness of America.

The most recent elections have been discouraging. There are no plans or reasoned analysis of the future. Rather, there is just attack and political rhetoric. Both parties demand their own policies, none of which seem to have worked very well. They also demonize each other.

In our group of men who participate in a Philosophers’ Club (male version of a book club), we have a well balanced group from political and religious standpoints. Yet, when it comes to politics we demonize each other as well. It is as if there is no middle ground. On religion or philosophy, we can have a rationale discussion.

This month’s selection is The Joy of Hate. It was chosen by a thoughtful friend seeking to engender discussion of the group. He will succeed!

Mr. Gutfeld is a political talk show host. He is obviously conservative, though not quite to the far, far right. His book, like his shows I suspect (I do not watch much TV so have never seen his show), is stated in strident terms of what he hates about the left. He finds the outrage of liberals to be phony, because it is self-serving and devoid of reflection on flaws in their own views. 

In The Joy of Hate, Mr. Gutfeld presents his outrage on 28 topics – probably all drawn from TV commentary. He addresses Muslims, male boobs, bigotry, vaginas, subsidies, Mr. Obama, lies, workplace violence, medical care, fat people, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party (viewed as “parents” by the left) vs. Occupy Wall Street (viewed as “sex” by the same side), and so on. In doing so, he bemoans the phony outrage of the left.

Hatred of phony outrage is appropriate. I quite agree. On the other hand, I was surprised that Mr. Gutfeld does not turn his frame of analysis on the conservative right which is guilty of the same foolishness.

I am sure that he will do so in future shows, books, and presentations.

It would be amazingly refreshing to see a conservative commentator take such a look at conservatives. They have lost two elections in a row, by an increasing margin. It is apparent, even to me, than the phony outrage of the conservative right is rejected more by us voters than the phony outrage of the liberal left. 

Mt Gutfeld, I enjoyed reading your book. How about a balanced approach next time? It may not be popular with your core followers, but it would certainly do you, them, and our country a service to become such a balanced voice, perhaps even a balanced voice. For example, the dust jacket characterizes your view of the liberal left as an “oversensitive, wussified culture.” As of now, it is in the majority. What does that say about the conservative right, now a minority?

Warms, Cym

AMAZON

Book Review Link-up Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have
written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog will be included in the giveaway). Permalinks from Amazon & other Book Review Sites are permitted.
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a simple link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller - or whatever you want to say!

4. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
5. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list. Last week's winner will be announced this weekend!

-CYM

Virginia Pye, First Time Novelist, on Writing, Writers Conferences, & How to Get Your Book Published

Virginia Pye, First Time Novelist, on Writing, Writers Conferences, and How to Get Your Book Published

David Henry Sterry

      Author, activist, performer,  muckraker, book doctor

We first met Virginia Pye at the James River Writers Conference, one of the best writers conferences in America. If you're a writer, do yourself a favor, get yourself to Richmond, Virginia and go to this conference. It's filled with warm, generous, talented writers, editors and agents. When we first met Virginia Pye three years ago, she'd been writing and rewriting a novel for a very long time. It's always exciting when you see a dedicated, talented writer who keeps evolving and changing and working, then finally gets their novel published, and actually gets lauded for it. So we thought we would check in with her to see exactly how it all happened.

Read the rest of the article here.




A good read. Enjoy-
CYM

Wednesday's Book Review Link-Up Winner!

     *all winners are selected by Random Number Generator *

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Paranormal and Romantic Suspense!!



Be sure to check out Paranormal and Romantic Suspense and leave a comment!


Check your email.

Warms-
CYM

#Book #Review Link-Up Party Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have
written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog will be included in the giveaway). Permalinks from Amazon & other Book Review Sites are permitted.
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a simple link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller - or whatever you want to say!

4. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
5. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list. Last week's winner will be announced this weekend!

-CYM

Self-Publishing is for Control Freaks

Self-Publishing Is For Control Freaks

Jeremy Greenfield, Contributor, Forbes

I write about e-books and digital publishing

Holly Ward is the third self-published author to hit No. 1 on the DBW Ebook Best-Seller list in 2013, an incredible achievement considering that her title, Damaged, is up against big books from major publishers and established authors. For instance, the No. 3 book this week is the new Nora Roberts title from Penguin, Whiskey Beach. It’s a book that in years past would be almost guaranteed to shoot to No. 1 in its debut week.

Unlike the other self-published authors to hit No. 1 this year — Jennifer L. Armentrout and Rachel Van Dyken — Ward, who writes under the name H.M. Ward as well as Ella Steele, never published a book with a traditional publisher. She never gained the experience of what it takes to bring a book to market and make it successful from a secondary source — she’s self-taught.

Continue here.

-CYM

Wednesday's Book Review Link-up WINNER!

     *all winners are selected by Random Number Generator *

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Create With Joy!!



Be sure to check out Create With Joy and leave a comment!


Check your email.

Warms-
CYM