Politics: Observations and Arguments, 1966-2004

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Collection of Columns
Review: The right wing review that preceded this one tells far more about the reviewer than about this perceptive, sensitive, sometimes brilliant collection of essays. Apart from his political acuity, Hertzberg's observations on other aspects of American culture, such as his wonderful piece on the experience of police at a post 911 Bruce Springsteen concert are exceptional. Yes, Hertzberg has a liberal bias and he makes moral judgements, most of them ones which are sympatico with our professed best American values. Even if you were to read only half of the columns in this book, you would get more than your money's worth.

Rating:
Summary: Talkingpolitics.com
Review: this book is an excellent start about politics and feel talkingpolitis.com is another great place to continue the conversation

Rating:
Summary: Humane, broad-minded
Review: Unlike Christopher Hitchens whose prose screams "Look at me, look at me," Hertzberg is a more modest stylist: the words he uses are meant to carry his ideas and to explain them simply and clearly. He's an avowed liberal and makes no bones about it, but he is not strident or offensive in any way. Conservatives: If you find HH offensive to your sensibilities, it is unlikely that you are capable of holding a serious, rational, and thoughtful conversation. This is not "talk radio" or "cable news" fodder, both of which he discusses. And he is critical of both cowardly Clinton as well as the amnesiac Reagan. It is engaging from start to finish, though it gets a little confusing on Proportional Representation (but I'm not good with numbers). There are many short pieces written for The New Yorker and The New Republic making it easy to bounce around and read in short spurts; I didn't see any real need to read it in order from beginning to end. Inspiring Idea: Stop revering the Founding Fathers and start emulating them. Great quote I hadn't heard before: When told that George W. Bush said he sleeps like a baby, Colin Powell replied: "I sleep like a baby, too. Every two hours I wake up screaming."