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the_emas's review against another edition
4.0
While I wish that Michael Moore would present his ideas in a less biased, more productive manner, it's just never going to happen. He is who he is. So I'll just sit back, nod my head, laugh at his jokes and enjoy the material.
kathryn_mcb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Reading this book 21 years after initial release it’s depressing how little some things have changed. Much prefer Moore’s documentary work but still an interesting read and a window back to the turn of the millennium.
sophieboeck's review against another edition
4.0
I know a lot of people have strong opinions about Moore, but he truly just wants us to be better, as a people, society, and country.
stefhyena's review against another edition
3.0
Actually the first thing that struck me, was how current this more than ten year old book still is. Granted the names in politics have changed in the last decade, but most of Moore's critiques could land as squarely now as in the beginning- especially his critique of the increasingly similar two parties (he is talking about USA but it also struck me how much of his political insight works almost equally well for Australia).
Moore is readable, funny, breaks things into short sections which is extremely user friendly. I sometimes found his humour jarring, I don't know if that is a cultural thing. Maybe as an Australian that almost never watches TV I am just culturally incompatible with Moore's brash brand of humour. Usually I love sarcasm, there was something so white, male, loud, stereotypical American about his way of speaking though that he lost me (mind you I suspect I would still have a beer with him if I met him).
Many of his political insights seemed to me to be pure logic disguised as comedy. Here is wry comedy made me smile. Some of the advice that went with this (about emailing and calling politicians more or about running for politics) were sound advice that I hope everyone will take (I have considered running for politics but I think my small energies are better spent supporting other politicians who challenge the system). Moore's analysis on voting for Nader (why you would, why you wouldn't and different ways of deciding) was refreshing in both its logic and in his tolerance that not everyone sees it quite his way. I also agreed with him about being screwed over honestly or not- the material endpoint is the same either way.
Sometimes he lost me by putting the comedy before the politics (I suspect there he will appeal to other people more than me). His comments about gender relations and race/nationality were a bit offensive coming from someone with his level of privilege for all that there was real critique and genuine comedy in there disguised as simply playing the fool. I also thought that at times by putting the comic agenda before the political one he got away with superficial, simplistic "Answers" that actually wouldn't work. I understand as a popular movie-maker/writer his main motivation is to entertain and to sneak in some information int he entertainment, not just to teach. But in those places I was struggling to keep reading (some of it as I say above was probably lost in cultural translation).
Worth a read for people who think politics is "boring" or "pointless" as it argues persuasively that none of us can afford to be apolitical (and that by doing nothing we are in fact supporting the bastards who want to step on our necks). The false humility in the book has a sort of charisma to it too. Give it a go!
Moore is readable, funny, breaks things into short sections which is extremely user friendly. I sometimes found his humour jarring, I don't know if that is a cultural thing. Maybe as an Australian that almost never watches TV I am just culturally incompatible with Moore's brash brand of humour. Usually I love sarcasm, there was something so white, male, loud, stereotypical American about his way of speaking though that he lost me (mind you I suspect I would still have a beer with him if I met him).
Many of his political insights seemed to me to be pure logic disguised as comedy. Here is wry comedy made me smile. Some of the advice that went with this (about emailing and calling politicians more or about running for politics) were sound advice that I hope everyone will take (I have considered running for politics but I think my small energies are better spent supporting other politicians who challenge the system). Moore's analysis on voting for Nader (why you would, why you wouldn't and different ways of deciding) was refreshing in both its logic and in his tolerance that not everyone sees it quite his way. I also agreed with him about being screwed over honestly or not- the material endpoint is the same either way.
Sometimes he lost me by putting the comedy before the politics (I suspect there he will appeal to other people more than me). His comments about gender relations and race/nationality were a bit offensive coming from someone with his level of privilege for all that there was real critique and genuine comedy in there disguised as simply playing the fool. I also thought that at times by putting the comic agenda before the political one he got away with superficial, simplistic "Answers" that actually wouldn't work. I understand as a popular movie-maker/writer his main motivation is to entertain and to sneak in some information int he entertainment, not just to teach. But in those places I was struggling to keep reading (some of it as I say above was probably lost in cultural translation).
Worth a read for people who think politics is "boring" or "pointless" as it argues persuasively that none of us can afford to be apolitical (and that by doing nothing we are in fact supporting the bastards who want to step on our necks). The false humility in the book has a sort of charisma to it too. Give it a go!