"110 People Who Are Screwing Up America" by Bernard Goldberg
Society has come a long way over the years. Times have changed, and people have as well, some for the better, and some for the worse. The book 110 People Who Are Screwing Up America points out some of the people who are taking part in messing up our country as we know it.
The book, written by Bernard Goldberg, points out many good facts about some of the people of America. It scrutinizes some of the most influential people of today and it really makes you think about what our world is coming to. Take Todd Goldman for example, who tops off the list as number ninety-seven. He is the proud inventor of so-called “boy-bashing” t-shirts. These shirts contain slogans on them that read: “Boys Are Stupid…Run Them Over” and “Stupid Factory: Where Boys Are Made.” The author points out that these shirts are supposedly designed especially for teenage girls. Do we really need teens to believe bashing one another is appropriate? Goldberg states: “The fact is we live in a time when it’s become okay to belittle not only men, but also future men. Never mind that in almost every negative statistical category ” from failure in school to suicide ” boys today are in worse shape than girls, and the gap is only increasing.” He undeniably has a good point.
The author talks about many topics; most of them are very controversial, but thought-provoking nonetheless. Goldberg explains that if we are what we eat, and if our health is affected by our diet, then what we see and what we hear affects our emotional state of being. He writes: “For years now, we’ve understood that you truly are what you eat, that your diet has everything to do with your physical and even emotional health. Why then is it so hard to understand that inevitably you are also what you hear and see? I mean the same people who worry endlessly about the cleanliness of the environment ” as they should ” seem to have zero concern about the trashy environment promoted by TV.” He makes an exceptional point that will really make you wonder what goes through the minds of some of these people.
Goldberg also goes on about the type of music we are making and listening to today. He talks about how music today is degrading the morals of human life in general. Specifically targeting a type of music called gangsta rap, he provides us with example lyrics from different songs that include no morals whatsoever and that degrade feminism altogether. Most of the lyrics in most ‘gangsta’ rap songs are disrespectful to women, elders, and human life in general. Goldberg adds a sarcastic touch to his chapter by saying, “I don’t know about you, but I’m just crazy about rap music. I especially like a certain kind of rap music known as gangsta rap. What I like most about gangsta rap are the lyrics. [Most of these lyrics contain] words which are as sweet and soothing as a sunny day in May.” Let us be honest, ‘gangsta’ rap lyrics are anything but sweet and soothing.
This is a great book that I really enjoyed reading. For the most part, I agreed with everything the author said, and I would definitely consider the book a reliable source. I loved how the author organized the book by the person or people he was targeting, and he went into detail about each person. I particularly liked the chapters he made that targeted Richard Timmons (a man who brutally beheaded his wife and seven-year-old son with an axe, then killed his thirteen-year-old stepson with a knife, then Timmons claimed he was treated ‘wrongfully’ by the police), The Gaede Twins (two thirteen-year-old artists that sing about how the Holocaust is a huge exaggeration), David Duke (he blames the Jews for anything and everything bad happening in the world), Ludacris (a ‘gangsta’ rapper himself), Eminem (yet another ‘gangsta’ rapper), and Robert Byrd (the Senator of West Virginia, who is a former member of the KKK and is also an avid racist). The book goes into great detail about each person, and you can learn a lot from it. Who topped the list as number one? Read the book to find out!
Note: I wrote the above book review for a school assignment that called for a 5-paragraph book review on a non-fiction book. I haven't turned it in yet, so feel free to give me suggestions and your take on it. =]
The book, written by Bernard Goldberg, points out many good facts about some of the people of America. It scrutinizes some of the most influential people of today and it really makes you think about what our world is coming to. Take Todd Goldman for example, who tops off the list as number ninety-seven. He is the proud inventor of so-called “boy-bashing” t-shirts. These shirts contain slogans on them that read: “Boys Are Stupid…Run Them Over” and “Stupid Factory: Where Boys Are Made.” The author points out that these shirts are supposedly designed especially for teenage girls. Do we really need teens to believe bashing one another is appropriate? Goldberg states: “The fact is we live in a time when it’s become okay to belittle not only men, but also future men. Never mind that in almost every negative statistical category ” from failure in school to suicide ” boys today are in worse shape than girls, and the gap is only increasing.” He undeniably has a good point.
The author talks about many topics; most of them are very controversial, but thought-provoking nonetheless. Goldberg explains that if we are what we eat, and if our health is affected by our diet, then what we see and what we hear affects our emotional state of being. He writes: “For years now, we’ve understood that you truly are what you eat, that your diet has everything to do with your physical and even emotional health. Why then is it so hard to understand that inevitably you are also what you hear and see? I mean the same people who worry endlessly about the cleanliness of the environment ” as they should ” seem to have zero concern about the trashy environment promoted by TV.” He makes an exceptional point that will really make you wonder what goes through the minds of some of these people.
Goldberg also goes on about the type of music we are making and listening to today. He talks about how music today is degrading the morals of human life in general. Specifically targeting a type of music called gangsta rap, he provides us with example lyrics from different songs that include no morals whatsoever and that degrade feminism altogether. Most of the lyrics in most ‘gangsta’ rap songs are disrespectful to women, elders, and human life in general. Goldberg adds a sarcastic touch to his chapter by saying, “I don’t know about you, but I’m just crazy about rap music. I especially like a certain kind of rap music known as gangsta rap. What I like most about gangsta rap are the lyrics. [Most of these lyrics contain] words which are as sweet and soothing as a sunny day in May.” Let us be honest, ‘gangsta’ rap lyrics are anything but sweet and soothing.
This is a great book that I really enjoyed reading. For the most part, I agreed with everything the author said, and I would definitely consider the book a reliable source. I loved how the author organized the book by the person or people he was targeting, and he went into detail about each person. I particularly liked the chapters he made that targeted Richard Timmons (a man who brutally beheaded his wife and seven-year-old son with an axe, then killed his thirteen-year-old stepson with a knife, then Timmons claimed he was treated ‘wrongfully’ by the police), The Gaede Twins (two thirteen-year-old artists that sing about how the Holocaust is a huge exaggeration), David Duke (he blames the Jews for anything and everything bad happening in the world), Ludacris (a ‘gangsta’ rapper himself), Eminem (yet another ‘gangsta’ rapper), and Robert Byrd (the Senator of West Virginia, who is a former member of the KKK and is also an avid racist). The book goes into great detail about each person, and you can learn a lot from it. Who topped the list as number one? Read the book to find out!
Note: I wrote the above book review for a school assignment that called for a 5-paragraph book review on a non-fiction book. I haven't turned it in yet, so feel free to give me suggestions and your take on it. =]
I agree with Kurtni
The book did nothing but piss me off
Joni., June 20th, 2007 at 05:30:23am
Great review! it was detailed and you organized it really well! Good job on that! However, I do have a few criticisms concerning the book and the author.
I think that people should be allowed to listen to what they want to listen to, rap or not, and that if people decide to watch certain television programs, I say, "Why not?" Just because we find entertainment in certain television shows or songs doesn't say anything about our character. For example, I have friends who listen to rap but are really cool and considerate people. "What they see and hear" hasn't influenced their personalities, nor has it been a part of their personalities to begin with.
What he says: controversial? Yes. A bit close-minded? Yes. But, everyone has opinions, I guess. If that's what he believes, that's what he believes.
Funky Platypus, May 28th, 2007 at 11:50:43pm
Thanks! I think. XD
Letterbombx723, May 28th, 2007 at 04:57:41pm
I absolutely hate that book, its a bunch of mindless propoganda in my opinion, the accusations he made against rappers were just silly, and I don't even like rap. Anyways, your review was very well written and informative and I bet you'll make a very high mark on it.
Kurtni, May 28th, 2007 at 04:50:35pm