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Summary: Larry Elder challanges "political correctness" w/ facts
Review: Larry Elder uses facts to refute and many times embarass those who focus on descrimination as the primary reason for "holding back" members of minorty groups.Mr. Elder's incisive and brutally honest points ring true from both a factual and logical basis. It would be my guess that the very people Elder challanges in his book also secretly agree with his positions -- although they would never agree publically. This book not only eloquently argues the other side ignored by the mass media, it also provides cathartic relief for those who simply have had enough of the status quo. Bravo for Mr. Elder in having the intellectual temerity to lay-out the facts and to tell the truth. This world would be a far better place to live if mainstream politicians and civic leaders pocessed his courage and honesty. Thank you, Mr. Elder.
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Summary: If you like politics, you need this book
Review: This is probably the most important book to be published in years. It should be read by all political candidates and would-be leaders and then they should be tested on what they have read. This book is so important in creating a better society and a stronger USA that it should be required reading in all schools and colleges! Congratulations to Larry Elder for giving us FACTS and not just mere unsubstantiated opinions. I plan to give out this book as gifts. I hope others do, too. The publisher should be sure to get a copy into the hands of both Gore and Bush!
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Summary: Someone Finally Says What Most Think...
Review: It's encouraging to see that there are still people in this world who see the world for what it really is. Elder's scathing "the truth hurts" points are brilliant, his argument concise and well documented. Hear, Hear to Larry!
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Summary: Just the facts, Jack!
Review: This guy is refreshing to hear on the radio, (KABC 790 in Los Angeles) and this book is an equally refreshing treatment of the things that are observable in everyday life, all backed up by facts. And not just dry statistics, but daily stuff that is pragmatic, and recognizable as true. The liberal media bias is layed out well, with plenty of citations. Gun control? Ever notice that the 'defensive use of weapons in warding off a crime' statistics are never reported? The data would go against the agenda... The glass ceiling? Women aren't paid equal pay for equal work? Elder offers the perfect proof that it's not true: If it were, in our market system, all kinds of enterprising entrepreneurs would be hiring all women, and would have a huge competitive edge with cheap payroll, wouldn't they! It ain't happening... I wonder why? Want to be entertained, while having a few revelations? Read this book!
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Summary: The Ten Things You Can't Say in America
Review: No-Fear! And thank God Larry Elder is brave enough to handle the vicious reflex of the political left when they are challenged. After all the screaming, the accusations, the belittling techniques mastered by the liberal left, we, as a nation, stand stunned. Larry exposes the brainwashing by using something called "FACTS", a rarely use term when emotional venom is injected by the media, black leadership, and others who manipulate through fear. The Ten Things You Can't Say in America is a fabulous journey into truth; however, I can hear the critics screaming from here. Remember that the mass (population) is being controlled by a very few (media), and many have extremist positions. Buy this book and judge for yourself.
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Summary: Excellent Intro to Libertarian Ideas!
Review: Larry Elder is a courageous individual, a black man who challenges the Democrat/left establishment of Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters et al. on his radio program, in print and as a guest on numerous TV talk shows. Elder points out the irony that many so called black leaders who tell us that affirmative action is still needed in employment and education and that racism is holding black people down are themselves individuals who obtained success by working hard and staying focused. Elder echoes self help guru Tony Robbins', who tells us that if you want to succeed in life, study successful people and do the same things that they did to achieve success. Instead, Elder laments that too many black Americans are poisoned by rhetoric that tells them the deck is stacked against them. Elder provides an interesting personal anecdote in his meeting with a black computer consultant in a gym locker room. The consultant complained that his client base was cities that had black mayors. When Elder told him that he was a recruiter for law firms and corporations, the consultant assumed that he specialized in minority attorneys and was surprised that Elder had white clients. The black consultant assumed that he could never succeed in marketing his services to whites and therefore never tried. His limitations were self imposed. But The Ten Things You Can't Say is not just a black libertarian/conservative's view on racial issues. Elder covers a variety of topics such as gun control, welfare, health care and the War on Drugs. The chapter on the so called health care crisis was especially good, with Elder ably pointing out how the AMA is artificially restricting the supply of doctors and the ludicrousness of regulations that prevent nurses and other medical paraprofessionals from doing tasks that they know how to do, thus raising the cost of health care. This is also the first book I ever read which called the Marshall Plan's success a myth. The Ten Things You Can't Say is a quick read, largely because Elder writes like he talks and uses simple down to earth language to get his points across. When reading this book, I couldn't help but hear his voice in my head. This book is bound to offend doctrinaire liberals, who will probably retort by saying something like "In Elder's world, there is no racism and sexism. It is all our imagination." If you have an open mind on the topics covered by Elder, this book will challenge your assumptions. The closed minded will prefer to keep this book...well...closed. My only quibble with this book is that Elder's editor missed a few typos. On page 119, district attorney's is compressed into one word "distrtorney's" and on pg. 247 Congressman George Miller is referred to as "Democratic California republican George Miller" rather than "Democratic California congressman George Miller". I also believe that Sher Hosonko, who he refers to on pg. 266 is really Sher Horosko. Hopefully the paperback edition of this book will correct these mistakes.
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Summary: Speak the truth.
Review: Speak the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Elder confronts the sacred cows of PC belief head on. He takes on racism, sexism, the medical industrial complex, the decline of marriage, the liberal media, and other "unspeakable" topics without flinching. He describes going to a library in a poor section of LA. Outside several "oppressed" youth are skateboarding on the sloped landscaping. Inside only Korean kids study, not a single "oppressed" minority kid. The largest part of the book is about the black racism and black victimology, combined with white condescension. Elder well describes how these forces combine to keep so many blacks from achieving decent lives. Elder goes on to confront the myth of the "Glass Ceiling" and the faux medical crisis. He shows how these myths create huge problems for society with their lies and faux victims. Other topics where "what everyone knows" is ripped apart are the war on drugs, gun control, the welfare state. Neither is Elder just spewing a republican or democratic view. One chapter is entitled "There isn't a dime's worth of difference" and he blasts both parties for failing utterly to address any of the most important social issues of our time. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but perhaps that is because I agree with Elder on virtually ever issue. I don't know if anyone who wants to continue believing the status quo cultural myths will read and learn, but they ought to.
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Summary: Name Calling and Condescension Turned Me Off
Review: I had never heard of Larry Elder but the title of this book intrigued me enough to buy it. I thought I was going to be reading an interesting view of race relations in America, and I was right - for the first chapter or two. I enjoyed his perspective on racism even if I didn't always agree with it.
But once he strayed from that topic and into his own narrow political platform, I gave up reading the book and listed it for sale here on Amazon's site. You know, I profess to not knowing too much about the libertarian platform, but Elder's condescending tone didn't make want to learn from him. And truthfully, he sounded like a dyed-in-the-wool conservative to me. I was especially dismayed that he resorted to name-calling: calling liberals "toe-tag liberals." Well, this liberal gave up.
There's a part of me that wonders what Elder might say about his stated liberal-biased media now, four years since this book was published. Perhaps it's something he talks about on his radio show, but again, I couldn't care less to tune in and find out after starting to read this book.
I suppose if I kept reading his other chapters I would've found some more interesting bits. But I'd much rather learn about differing viewpoints from people who don't talk down to me and call me names.
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Summary: Interesting, well-spoken and articulate even when he's wrong
Review: I do not walk in lockstep with Larry Elder; there are things he says that I completely disagree with. (A good example would be his "thing #6: There is no health care 'crisis' ". However, there are other things he says that I find absolutely true and very insightful; "blacks are more racist than whites", "white condescention is as bad as black racism", and "the war on drugs is Vietnam II". But always, whether I agree with him or not, his arguments are always thoughtful, interesting, and articulate.
This is not to say that they are without flaw; at one point in his chapter on race, he recounts his uncle telling him of how badly he had been used by whites when growing up in the deep south in the middle of the twentieth century, and how he pointed out to his uncle, essentially, "That was then; this is now," to make the point that one can't live in the past with regard to such things, and refuse to recognize change. But then just a few pages later, he complains of the fact that blacks almost universally vote democratic, when, after all, it was Lincoln and the Republican party that ended slavery, and southern Democrats who had perpetuated it, and who continued to fight segregation well into the sixties and even seventies. And I wanted to shake him, and say, "Yes, but that was then, and this is now; you can argue with the assumption that the Democratic party is better than the Republican party for black people now, but whether they were or not 30-130 years ago has no bearing on the argument."
Still, this is a very valuable book, not the least for the fact that it was written by a black man. Much as he would hate to admit it, when a black man says some of the things he says here, they are less easy to dismiss out of hand than they would be if they were written by a white man. That may be an unpleasant reality, but it's reality nonetheless.
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Summary: God
Review: The spotlight review says it all. This guy backs up everything he says. Quite a breath of fresh air from all of the banter.
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