I Can't Believe I'm Sitting Next to a Republican: A Survival Guide for Conservatives Marooned Among the Angry, Smug, and Terminally Self-Righteous by Harry Stein



I am the guy the book is aimed at (a Conservative that is an active member of a teacher's union) and I found it only okay...

To give you an idea about how serious of a conservative I am, my bookmark was a copy of "Imprimis" (Hillsdale College's free newsletter featuring excerpts from speeches by conservatives). I picked I Can't Believe I'm Sitting Next to a Republican: A Survival Guide for Conservatives Marooned Among the Angry, Smug, and Terminally Self-Righteous up sight unseen figuring it would be organized like one of those "Guide for Dummies" books.

The book is intended to be a "survival guide" for Conservatives that are out of place - the conservative college professor, social worker, or in my case, the conservative active and involved member of a teacher's union. As I said, I thought it might be a hoot, especially if it were organized like one of those "Dummies" books, imagining categories like "What to do if you are a college student and your professor is quoting Al Gore like he's the latest prophet from on high..." Perhaps if the Politically Incorrect Guide folks would have published this one and focused it more I'd have enjoyed it more.

Instead, it is sort of Ann Coulter "lite". Ann goes after name brand Liberals (Gore, the Kennedys, and so on) with awful (and true) stories of flawed liberal reasoning and horrible hypocrisy. Harry Stein mostly talks about his neighbors and people he used to work with using the same style.

Parts of the book work like a charm, especially the chapters on Hollywood, the book publishing industry, public schools and universities. Others are just sort of creepy, like the one in which Stein's wife tape records her friends and the one with the conservative talk show host harassing the liberal in a pet store.

Final thought: mixed bag, good for the hardcore conservative with a funny bone on your gift list.

 I rate this book 3 stars out of 5.

 This book can be found on Amazon.com here: I Can't Believe I'm Sitting Next to a Republican: A Survival Guide for Conservatives Marooned Among the Angry, Smug, and Terminally Self-Righteous by Harry Stein

 Reviewed on November 6, 2009.

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