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Summary: Remarks on a reviewer's complaint
Review: Another reviewer--one who did not like this terrific book--complained of a preponderance of instances where negative reviews of the book listed here were rated as unhelpful. In other words, a negative review might show "2 of 36 people found this review helpful," as opposed to "108 of 136 people found this review helpful" on a positive review (mine, as of last night). This complainant felt this was proof positive that the readers giving positive reviews were biased. Well...of course! We're biased in favor of the book, either because we agree with its hypothesis and feel that Mr. Franken successfully and entertainingly demonstrates the truth of his position, or because we come to the book with an open mind and find that Mr. Franken convinces us through force of argument and proof.More to the point, though, I will say the negative reviews--heartfelt, no doubt, even by the reviewers who haven't actually read the book they're criticizing--offer little or no support for their negative reviews. They fail to refute Mr. Franken's argument, but merely call names or dismiss Mr. Franken as a "poor comedian" or a liberal propagandist, or some such thing. This is not helpful. To be helpful, a review should offer substantive information or description, not just spiteful or uninformed dismissal. In short, the burden lies with the reviewer to offer a critique which is useful to others, or not.
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Summary: Finally, Words with Facts to Back it Up!
Review: Anybody who rated this low is a neo-con who wants to try and make you think this is not a good book (like Hilary's). On the contrary, this is Al Franken's best book yet and he takes all of our hysterical Right-Wing Neo-cons to task for their "rabid frothing" (as he talks about Ann "hysterical diva" Coulter), not backing up what they say with any facts what-so-ever and out and out LYING to give the Right what they want to hear! This is a must read for anyone who wants the truth and you can laugh while doing it! (Even though some of this stuff is so unreal that it is almost nauseating!) Thank you Faux News for hyping this book to #1!!!! A great read from a great and proud LIBERAL writer!
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Summary: A Liar Writing About Liars
Review: Anybody with a modicum of good sense should ponder the title before buying it. After seeing Mr. Franken with Bill O'Reilly, then watching the "spin" (forgive me) he put on his encounter to make himself out as David the Giant Killer on David Letterman, I don't think I could trust a word in this book.
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Summary: An angry cri de coeur, and it's about time
Review: Anyone who buys this book expecting it to be funny is going to be mildly disappointed, because Al is deadly serious. That's not to say that it isn't funny in some places (especially his introduction, and his "tour" of Bob Jones University), but it is the seething disgust at O'Reilly, Coulter, et.al.--and the fabulous research of TeamFranken, corroborating the accusations Franken makes with FACTS (what a concept!)--that makes it memorable and important for people of all political persuasions to read. I especially appreciated his chapter on how Coulter lies and distorts by basically misusing the Lexis search engine, and trusting that no one will go back and look at her endnotes. His evisceration of O'Reilly and Hannity (whose show, Hannity and Colmes, is the object of a great visual joke in the book) is totally right-on. I hope--but don't expect--that if there are any fair-minded television viewers remaining who think they're getting "fair and balanced" "news" from the Fox Channel, that they read this book.
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Summary: Well researched, thought provoking and often hilarious
Review: Anyone who claims this book is full of hate and lies is simply crying "sour grapes" over the fact that Franken's case for right-wing lies is airtight and totally uambiguous. He calls those blowhards liars and PROVES it. A truly democratic society NEEDS people to speak out and express points of view other than those of the government. Everyone in this country should be g.d. glad that someone is. (I seem to recall Iraq not too long ago holding an "election" in which Saddam got 99.9% of the vote. Is that the kind of thing you want here?) Basically, Franken's message is: don't trust anyone who claims to have the only truthful point of view because they could be lying - and demonstrates plenty of examples to back it up.
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Summary: PROPAGANDA
Review: Anyone who finds this book remotely persuasive must be unable to think for themselves. What a load!
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Summary: Same old, same old from Franken
Review: Anyone who has read any of Franken's other books or seen him make a speech, or really anyone who's ever heard him talk at all will know that this book is the same thing that he uses in all his other books: insults. Franken doesn't know how to write an intelligent book. All he knows how to do is throw insults at people. Ann Coulter does the same thing, but at least she has some substance to back up what she says. Both the chapters on Coulter in this book did nothing to impress me or make me believe that she is a LIAR and never read her again. Coulter uses the same spin that every other pundit uses, LEFT or RIGHT, it doesn't matter, they all deceive. For Franken to come out with this book and write the entire thing on how conservatives are EVIL LYING NAZIS! and liberals are just sweet, normal, everyday citizens who "love their country like an adult loves someone" (paraphrasing) is ridiculous. If liberals loved their country, they would not go over to Iraq and put our soldiers in danger by becoming human shields. For anyone who is a moderate/centrist, this book will just prove the bias on both sides even more. Basically, if you're a kook liberal, you'll love this book, but everyone one else will realize that while calling every conservative in the world a liar, Al Franken does some "spinning"/lying of his own.
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Summary: Truth: The Natural Enemy of the GOP
Review: Anyone who reads Al Franken's book will know very quickly the real reason FOX (Facts Optional and X-tra) tried to keep it off of the shelves: it is full of FACTS, and no [one] can refute them. Al Franken shows through FACTS, not right wing (or left wing) hype, that the parties in question lie like most people breath -they just assume that their audience is too stupid (and with FOX viewers they're usually right) to catch them at it.
When they they are caught, they just try to bully their opposition and accuse them of 'hating America'. The conservatives can't hunt Communists any more, so they label anyone who dosen't agree with their agenda a 'Liberal', even though no conservative can actually define what a Liberal is. Count me in that group if the alternative is the lies and hypocracies exposed in this book.
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Summary: Fact Checking
Review: Anyone who tries to claim falsehoods in this book will need to back that claim with some very powerful evidence. This book was by definition a fact checking mission. Don't you think Franken knew that if he included one unsupportable statement his critics would try to use it to discredit the entire book? I would wager that the editing process was a brutal one in the interest of avoiding such a problem. Humor has been used throughout human history as part of deeply complex and serious debate and is also used in this instance, I believe, as a device for relief for moderates and liberals who have experienced increasing frustration over the endless flow of untrue, un-researched and even infantile statements and writings from some on the right. You may not like Franken, liberals, or the facts, but any wholesale condemnation of this book on the basis of its accuracy is not valid.
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Summary: Al Franken has lost his tiny little Mind
Review: Apparently Al has either gone over the edge or lost all contact with reality or been on mind alterung drugs way to long . Don't waste you money on this book. I did and I'm sorry I did . If you can't attack your opponents arguement attack him personnaly since al can't even understand the arguement he attacks his opponents at a personal level not very smart AL .
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