The Assault on Reason | Al Gore | a well written book on the state of american democracy

The Assault on Reason | Al Gore | Al Gore at his best

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The Assault on Reason

	The Assault on Reason Al Gore Penguin (Non-Classics), 2008 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 341 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A #1 New York Times bestseller: A visionary analysis of the degradation of our public sphere and its consequences for our democracy

Nobel Peace Prize winner, bestselling author, activist, and political icon, Al Gore has become one of the most respected and influential public intellectuals in America today. The Assault on Reason takes an unprecedented look at how faith in the power of reason?the idea that citizens can govern themselves through rational debate?is now under assault. The marketplace of ideas, once open to everyone through the printed word, has been corrupted by the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith. By leading us to an understanding of what we can do to restore the rule of reason, Gore has written a farsighted and powerful manifesto for clear thinking.

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a well written book on the state of american democracy

It's hard to be objective about this book. Those who give it high
marks no doubt betray their political leanings. Regardless, I do think
that Gore put together a straightforward thesis, and defended it
very well: The basis of democracy in America is an informed and
rational body of voters. Through skillful and deliberate machinations on many different
levels - primarily by relying on one-way media which limit the political
discourse, and evoking primal responses through a variety of
scare tactics - the typical voter no longer reasons, but is being
manipulated by the political machinery. While the Bush administration and its pals in
Congress are singled out as consummate practitioners of such politics,
I think they simply represent the pinnacle of this hypocrisy.

I do believe that Gore got many things right here. Although he bases a few arguments
on recent research in neuroscience which may not have the wide ranging implications
suggested, he reasons well.

Although he reserves the harshest criticism for the current (Bush) administration,
I think this is a clear indictment of the modern political process in the US. As such,
it must also perhaps be read as an apology for Gore's own role in this process.
I do not think this was lost on him, and therefore makes it harder to think of the
book as the writings of a sore loser.

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Al Gore at his best

The rationale and thesis behind Al Gore's book are well rounded and even better developed. It goes beyond just critizising the current administration but sheds light on the systemic problem Democracy has in our times and what needs to be done to get back to its original concept. This one is a MUST read!

A Reminder of What True Democracy is Based Upon

Much has been said about this jewel of a book, but I want to add that it is a pleasure to read such elegantly written exposition. Vice President Gore's prose in THE ASSAULT ON REASON is evocative of the styles and rationales of the Founding Fathers whom he so admires and whose faith in true Democracy led to the framing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as well as to the impassioned rhetoric of Thomas Paine.

Since democracy has been endangered by the weakening of our use of language, by the imprecision in current communication and by the 'weazel words' and easy slogans which creep into political discourse at every turn, we should, in general, demand more respect for and improvement in the language used by politicians, television analysts, and those who write our books. Al Gore has set the standard for such careful writing in this volume.

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Excellent condition

The book was delivered sooner then I expected. Was delivered in better condition, then described. I will definitly purchase from this seller in the future.

Spot-on Analysis, Sometimes Cumbersome Prose

Gore presents an extremely thorough and well-reasoned analysis of the threats to our democracy posed by the willful manipulation of public opinion for political gain. The book is also a stinging and accurate indictment of the Bush Administration. I wish I shared Gore's optimism that meaningful public discourse can be restored to its proper place in our democracy. I hope he is right and I am wrong about our future course.

While generally well written, the book is not an example of economical prose. At times points are made in a round-about or long-winded fashion, and many of the quotes from great thinkers from the past, while interesting, are not altogether necessary. Don't be put off by this complaint! The ideas expressed in this book are extremely important and desperately need to reach a wide audience.

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