What You Should Know About Politics...but Don'tã¢â‚¬â„¢ by Jessamyn Conrad
What Y'all Should Know well-nigh Politics... Just Don't: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues
A fast, fun overview of an enormous topic. I waffled on the rating for this 1, between three and 4. It was a "iv" for me until I got to her remarks on homeschoolers in the Education affiliate. She says, "... greater numbers of Americans either put their children in religious schools or chose to homeschool them. They would prefer not to pay for public education because they don't utilise or want its services." Ouch. Talk about a wildly erroneous generalization! I'm not saying that in that location aren't homeschoolers who hold this view, but in all my years equally a member of various homeschool communities, I can't recollect always hearing anyone say such a thing. The homeschoolers I know would all admit that homeschooling is not the right selection for every family, and that an excellent public school system is a do good to anybody. Anyway, having stumbled over such a blatantly inaccurate piece of "information" in a section most which I have some knowledge made me a bit more than skeptical about her claims in other sections. Still, I did enjoy the book a lot. Conrad succeeds in making complex subjects seem comprehensible, and she has an amusing, if occasionally too flippant, mode. Most of what she covered was familiar, but the book was a nice refresher on a wide range of political problems. My reservation is that she sounds confident and administrative but is, maybe, non too informed as she imagines on some subjects.
I'd recommend this book to anyone effectually my age. It covered a not bad bargain of political topics, ranging from economic system to education. Conrad's writing was very conversational and included more 'I's in it than I would have predicted (not a complaint, I enjoyed her input). Ane thing yous must note if you choose to read this volume...If you do read this, rent (or buy) the nigh contempo edition. The one I rented from the library, and the only one bachelor, was published in 2008. Obama wasn't even president yet. I noticed that almost immediately, realizing that nothing surpassed 2008. Even so, I connected to read on despite not being the about recent. I found that this volume was a quick sum of ~30 years that my schooling failed to teach me. None of my history classes taught contempo history, anything beyond 1960's or Vietnam...so this was a peachy wrap up of what happened prior to my birth -> until I began focusing on real world, current events. Definitely recommend just highly suggest looking for the latest edition!
Claims to exist a non-partison guide to modern political bug (equally of 2008) and delivers. It discusses major bug and where the different parties & groups normally stand up and why without trying to say who is right or incorrect.
I picked upwards this volume, forth with The Everything American Government Volume, out of desperation. I had spent about of my life saying that I didn't care about politics or the news except in the greater context and curation provided in history books. And so one day I woke up to realize that we're living history and are hither to take action or, at the very least, witness the ride. Nonetheless, whenever I read a news article, I understood no more than 30%. I was missing the blueprint of how authorities and politics work (or are supposed to piece of work) and the background of virtually current affairs. I could've kept reading newspapers and magazines and hope to, by sheer repetition, construct the desired mental maps. Merely there'south gotta be a book that short cuts this, I thought, and amazon.com took me to What Y'all Should Know About Politics… Only Don't. The title said it all for me. And the subtitle added more validity to it: A Nonpartisan Guide To The Issues That Thing. Jessamyn Conrad does a very nice job identifying and describing some of the most of import political and cultural topics of this decade. For each topic, Conrad provides background information nigh the issue at hand and the players that surround information technology, sometimes going back several decades. This background was essential in helping me weave a narrative (in my mind) and be better equipped to codify a position. The book touches on 13 topics in a little less than 400 pages. With approximately 30 pages per topic, the volume is not at risk of beingness dull, particularly because the topics are independent of each other. As for the subtitle, Conrad limits her narrative to providing the main viewpoints around each topic, and the arguments presented by opposing parties. She doesn't adjudicate the upper hand (ethical or logical) to whatsoever item position. And then, in my opinion, it checks the nonpartisan box. The one thing missing perhaps is a consummate update of the xiii topics, and possibly the improver of new ones… things changed on January twenty, 2017! This is the 3rd edition, published in 2016, when Obama was still president. In sum, if you're looking to build or strengthen your blueprint of electric current American politics, read this book… and buy the fourth edition when it comes out.
Excellent primer for overview of of import topics crucial to any sort of understanding of political volition and intent for voters.
Naomi Wolf offers an introduction to this edition that ties information technology to the contempo ascendancy of Trump and Company.
I like the style Conrad sets up chapters similarly: bullets, background, a fleck of history, bolded key words, presentation of dis/similar points of view.
I like the readability of this book.
I like its coverage: elections, the economy, foreign policy, the military, health care, energy, the surround, civil liberties, culture wars, socioeconomic policy, homeland security, educational activity and trade.
I like the sensible arroyo of the book, as well as its (overall) not-partisan considerations.
Lots to exist reminded of; lots to larn.
I'm giving this two stars because yous might too purchase the first edition second-paw for how little this book is updated. The fourth edition was not warranted at all. At that place is absolutely nothing in this book by the twelvemonth 2014. A tertiary edition was published in 2016. This 1 was published in 2019. Where is ANY coverage of the change in the political landscape due to Obama's second term? The 2016 ballot? The Trump White Business firm? Bernie Sanders and the Democratic progressives? Definitely an ill-advised attempt to make money. I paid $12 for information technology and I will be returning it for my money. Once again, dandy to understand the development of politics leading up to 2008, but not contemporaneous at ALL and for a "new" edition, it is incredibly dated.
With the 2016 election, I wanted to exist more informed nearly politics. This book helped me to learn nearly key issues, the history of said bug, and current status of bug. The winning factor in the books title was nonpartisan and it was true to the word. I did not feel the author trying to sway me on an issue. The facts were given and footnotes provided. I think this is a slap-up book for anyone looking to learn more near politics.
Somewhat outdated. Good summation. Broad range of bug- "I wrote this volume to fill up a void, the existence of which has been made more than apparent by the myriad mudslinging volumes in the Ann Coulter/Michael Moore mold, books that are more almost theater than ideas, that accept more to exercise with misplaced hate than thoughtful contemplation of the problems ahead."
This book purports to be an unbiased look at politics and to depict what each side says about diverse issues. It is not nonpartisan. It is biased to the left. And it doesn't even practise a very skilful job of explaining why those on the left believe what they practice. A great disappointment.
Good review- I'k making an effort to understand politics better! Would be ameliorate if updated to Trump era :)
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