Rating: 
Summary: Why the Left can't win
Review: Tammy does a great job exposing the hypocrisy of NOW, NAACP and the Rainbow Coalition. During the Afghanistan and Iraq offensives, before I could only wonder why these groups were opposed to actions which only would benefit women and children, the cry of the 'impending deaths of innocent women and children' due to these campaigns rang hollow. The support of groups like NOW for MTV (and its degradation of girls) and opposition to people like Dr. Laura Schlessinger (educated women with strong opinions) bely their true agenda. Her revelations about Betty Friedan and Rosa Parks diminish their accomplishments and call into question the credibility of the groups that hail them, Tammy warns of the dangers of deceit to further ones goals. She also offers insight into the O.J. Simpson debacle, how NOW ditched the domestic violence issues for its political bond with the NAACP.
The ADL, GLAAD, FAIR, and ACLU incriminate themselves by their actions and inactions. She also helps repair damage of those who had been demonized by the self righteous Left, without losing the principles of the Left. In a time where rhetoric is so impassioned, she offers reason and command respect.
This book gives us great warning about the danger of political correctness, where diversity means agreeing with one opinion.
She also offers compelling consideration of the 'hate crimes' laws enacted.
As terrific companion reads, I suggest 'The Invisible Heart' (the path of socialism) and 'Lost in the Cosmos' (the pifalls of group thinking).
Rating: 
Summary: worth reading anyway
Review: The need for books like this one are demonstrated by the reviews below of this book. Some of those who loved it (five stars) and all of those who hate it (one star) have clearly not read the book--or, more frightening--they read it and this is the best they could do at understanding it. Examples: Tammy Bruce exposes the "liberals" who have taken over the colleges and the media? How could anyone read more than ten pages and make such a statement? Tammy Bruce is opposed to having you think for yourself? You gotta be kidding!
The fact is, there are limitations in this book. It is not a rigorous survey based on random sampling, etc. But then, it does not pretend to be. It is a passionate plea for freedom of inquiry. And one of the ways this book transcends other books in this area is that it goes beyond the universities and deals with thought control in the media--and the media are areas which the author knows from personal experience. If you want a more rigorous account from a liberal, read Who Stole Feminism? or The Shadow University. And if you want the whole story, including how such an extraordinary takeover could have come about in this country, read The Rape of Alma Mater, a fictionalized but fact-based account.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute "MUST READ" book!!
Review: Wow. Rarely have I read a book that so thoroughly destroys a facade like this book does. What adds to its potency is the undeniable fact that the author self professes in the beginning of the book to be a gay, liberal, pro-choice, former President of NOW. This she claims gives her "insider" status on what she writes about. While I may disagree with some of her views, I respect and admire the honesty with which she systematically exposes the hypocritical and destructive tactics of the "activists" on the Left. Tammy Bruce is an excellent author, and an expert on the subject.The chapter describing the attacks on Dr. Laura by GLAAD are detailed and exposed for what they were, as she contends they were cowardly and shameful acts of hypocrisy. Despite her insider status, she was treated as an outcast within her own organization for even questioning such tactics. In looking at such supposedly benign issues such as hate-crimes legislation and those on the Left who support it, she demonstrates the logical absurdity of this legislation. By simply looking at the legislation we realize that it by definition implies that blacks, Jews, and gays must be much more neurotic and weak than others because we are led to believe that crime affects them much more than it does everyone else. Do the parents of a murdered straight child grieve less that those of a gay child? Is the pain or damage any less? (See page 40 for this discussion). She outlines the damage caused by "groupthink" and how much like cults some of these Left organizations have become. The irony of trying to silence people who disagree with the liberal left worldview for being intolerant isn't lost on her as it is with most everyone else on the Left. The disturbing trend of mind control being practiced on our college campuses these days prompts her to say that when a woman giving a speech about individual empowerment has to flee for her safety there is something twisted going on. She also indicates in the chapter that the power the Thought Police wield at universities and schools is indeed disturbing. However, the good thing is that at least it gives us a clear view of what exactly the Left wants. In an environment under their ideological control, the Thought Police have free reign to silence opinions, squelch debate, and punish dissent (see page 222 for the exact quotes). The exposure of minority leaders such as Jesse Jackson and others that actually deliberately attempt to perpetuate victimhood and create racial tension for their own benefit, where none actually exists, prompts her to describe them as "Misery Merchants". In devoting a chapter to these sad phenomena she implies that what started as a struggle for equal rights and a color-blind society has turned into a major profit industry - the victim industry. The details and evidence for this is truly disturbing in how disingenuous it all really is. This is a powerful book. The arguments are so airtight, and due to her status as an "insider" to this movement, the result is a chilling look at just how far this group will go to create a "Stalin-like" state where any viewpoints except their own are severely punished. I experience this Thought Police approach in Corporate America and in the local media. This book will likely stir emotions on both sides of the fence. It states in the most compelling and undeniable way yet the dangers of the Thought Police and the agenda of the liberal left. Agree or disagree with her personal views, the evidence is beyond dispute.
| 
