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Summary: Larry Elder for President!
Review: This book is a revelation. It is highly readable, enjoyable, and just ooozing common sense. As an Orange County Libertarian, I was thrilled to discover this book and the local radio station that carries his show, daily during drive time. "Ten Things..." is destined to irritate many people but most great books do. Open your mind and read it!
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Summary: A Must Read For Anyone
Review: Larry Elder is a clear voice of reason. If you work hard and put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything, regardless of your race or social status. Sounds cliche, but it's the truth. I am fortunate to live in Los Angeles and listen to Larry Elder almost every afternoon. While one may not agree with everything he says, he always has clear, consistent and well thought out opinions. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to increase their awareness of government and society, whatever your political views are. Open yourself up to this book and you just might question what is happening around you.
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Summary: Trojan Horse of a book
Review: Like everyone else, I thought the blurbs were compelling enough to buy this book. I found it interesting from the point that here's a man who says what he really thinks. I read with avid interest and found myself agreeing to a point on many issues he raised. Mr. Elders is catagorical, if nothing else in his opinions. No shades of gray here. Then somewhere in the book, I found this to be a rather fanatical tyrade, rather than a reasoned, balanced expression of his views. His solution to the gun problem in America of advocating more guns in the hands of the population just baffles me. Just when you have a picture of this author as reasonable, the tone veers towards the extreme. For anyone interested in this book, I urge a critical mind. He has many valuable things to say, but hidden among these ideas are some potentially dangerous ones.
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Summary: Let the truth be told!
Review: Larry Elder's book is more than just a statement on the problems that have been raising controversy in America today. It is a call to arms for all believers in individual liberty and personal responsibility. Mr. Elder shows true bravado by proving he is not afraid to dispence a little truth in a world that is so quick to look to the mainstream liberal media for answers. This is a very important book because it puts ideas of great thinkers like Sowell, Friedman, Hayek, and the author himself (Yes Larry is truely a "Sage") into an understandable and readable text. Years from now, Larry's book will be (or at least should be!) looked upon as one of the first great pieces of political thought of the 21st century.
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Summary: Great Book, readable, informative, but imperfect
Review: This is a great book, but to save time let me concentrate on a key point of disagreement. I think Elder underplays the continuation of white on black racism in this society, perhaps in part because he does business on "the Coast" rather than Middle America. But times have changed dramatically and it is not the obstacle it once was. So it is a matter of responsibilty for African-Americans to look past victimization and the victimization-whining industry in order to move forward. But Elder's too glib dismissal of the ongoing existence of racial prejudice will lose credibility, especially among African-Americans who otherwise desperately need his message.
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Summary: Wow! Larry Elder has a new fan.
Review: I give five star ratings to books that I can't imagine to have been written better, books that I would not only recommend to friends and family, but books that I would give as gifts. I wanted to read this since I saw Elder appear on The O'Reilly Factor. This book is common sense from the first word, which means that liberals will hate it and conservatives will agree with everything except the libertarian tenets that Elder holds, such as holding government down to an absolute minimum. This book is definitely a must read. Also, look for Elder's new weekly column on Worldnetdaily.com
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Summary: A Lucid Example of Brilliance
Review: From the inception of this brilliantly written and factually supported book to its final chapter emanate truth and Logic. Mr Elder never fails to take on the Status quo and hit hard when it comes to the so-called popular ideology of many segments of our society and its cultural leaders. Perhaps the most profound achievement of this book is its ability to argue against the popular maxims and paradigms put forth by many Minority and Politcal Figures. The old adage goes" Many people simply beleive what they are told", Mr. Elder's wisdom and significance ask the reader to question popular ideology and to embrace the possibilities in a world where many obstacles abound. Objectivity needs to be the most important tool with which we deal with persons in positions to influence cultural thought and its advancement. While Mr. Elder may have his detractors, his fervor for the benefit of mankind comes forth in his eloquent arguments about the need for responsible decision making on daily issues. Particularly overwhelming is the common sense approach of the author to the advancement of thought and action in our dealings with many societal short comings. The Social commentary in this book comes from a man who has truly walked a mile in the shoes of a very experienced individual. While overcoming many of the hardships and problems common to Black Youth, Larry Elder shines as a beam of perseverance and success in an otherwise dim world.The reader will emerge from the pages of this book a more aware and educated individual, which is the aim of any great author. This book treads where others fear to go, directly upon the grounds so sacred and untouchable to many genuine cultural commentators: The myths of Affirmative Action Efficacy, The effects of wide-spread Racism, and the need for tax-spend-regulate answers to many political questions.
A true intellectual will find this a must read, and a true humanitarian will put its principles into action in his/her dealings with people of all colors and creeds.
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Summary: An easy and essential read!
Review: I was a long-time cradle liberal, and this book was the critical turning point for me towards conservatism. It is well researched, absolutely relevant, fascinating, and doesn't get bogged down by wordiness. Like I said, an easy and essential read.
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Summary: The Ten Things He Says To Sellout Black America.
Review: I read this book and it was terrible, it definately is meant to be for White folks who feel guilty about Slavery and 400 years of oppression of Black people. Larry Elder is a Sellout (and an Idiot). He wants to cite examples of two or three Black people-out of 100 million Black folks throughout history-who have become White, and he holds those two or three people up as a shining example of how striving to be White works. It's simply stupid. If only two Blacks have made it to Five Star General in 100 years then somethin' ain't workin' Order The Sellout Diaries Volume 1 "Everything You Wanted To Know About Sellouts But Were Afraid To Ask". No Sellout. Theron K. Cal
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Summary: Convincing arguments
Review: I am more of a traditional conservative whereas Larry Elder is a libertarian. Therefore, I do not necessarily agree with everything he espouses. However, I must admit, in those few areas where we disagree, I would be hard pressed to debate with him since he argues his points convincingly. I do not agree, for example, that drugs should be legalized. I could not think of strong rejoinders to the points he makes, however, so I may have to rethink my position. One criticism I have is that, at times he tries to have it both ways. For example, he is against the federal and states' governments war against the tobacco industry. In support of his argument, he disputes statistics which purport to show that there are 400,000 annual deaths due to tobacco smoking. However, when he wants to make other points, such as drugs are not as deadly as cigarettes, he uses the 400,000 death figure. In spite of this occasional misuse of statistics, I rate the book five stars since there is no 4.5 rating and in a tough call, I rate up a half rather than down a half. I highly recommend the final chapter of the book in which Elder takes on gun control. He cites very convincing statistics which indicate that the ownership of guns for defensive purposes save substantially more lives than are taken by guns. His arguments have made me want to research the subject further and any book which inspires the reader to do further reading is a good book indeed. If you are not conservative and certainly if you are not libertarian, I recommend this book highly. Come armed with your best arguments and then, after reading each chapter, be honest with yourself as to how well your arguments hold up against Mr. Elder's reasoning and recitation of facts. To cite a line in the book, I challenge you to believe what you see rather than see what you believe.
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