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The Assault on Reason

By Al Gore

(16)

| Hardcover | 9781594201226

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Book Description

A visionary analysis of how the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith has combined with the degration of the public sphere to create an environment dangerously hostile to reason

At the time George W. Bush ordered American forces to invade Iraq, 70 percent of Americans believed SadContinue

A visionary analysis of how the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith has combined with the degration of the public sphere to create an environment dangerously hostile to reason

At the time George W. Bush ordered American forces to invade Iraq, 70 percent of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was linked to 9/11. Voters in Ohio, when asked by pollsters to list what stuck in their minds about the campaign, most frequently named two Bush television ads that played to fears of terrorism.

We live in an age when the thirty-second television spot is the most powerful force shaping the electorate's thinking, and America is in the hands of an administration less interested than any previous administration in sharing the truth with the citizenry. Related to this and of even greater concern is this administration's disinterest in the process by which the truth is ascertained, the tenets of fact-based reasoning-first among them an embrace of open inquiry in which unexpected and even inconvenient facts can lead to unexpected conclusions.

How did we get here? How much damage has been done to the functioning of our democracy and its role as steward of our security? Never has there been a worse time for us to lose the capacity to face the reality of our long-term challenges, from national security to the economy, from issues of health and social welfare to the environment. As The Assault on Reason shows us, we have precious little time to waste.

Gore's larger goal in this book is to explain how the public sphere itself has evolved into a place hospitable to reason's enemies, to make us more aware of the forces at work on our own minds, and to lead us to an understanding of what we can do, individually and collectively, to restore the rule of reason and safeguard our future. Drawing on a life's work in politics as well as on the work of experts across a broad range of disciplines, Al Gore has written a farsighted and powerful manifesto for clear thinking.

Critics

Citizen Gore

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is more up in the air than it seems. Much has been made on cable news channels of Hillary Clinton’s lead, which has grown since the spring to 22 points over Barack Obama, according to a recent USA T ... (read full critics)

nybooks published on Wed, 25 Aug 2010

1 Review

Brilliant analysis tainted by partisan politics

This book is a very good overview of the state of current American democracy. It is well researched and has very good reference to past historical events of relevance. The only thing which made it less than 100% credible is Al Gore's blistering attack, however well-justified, on the policies and pra ... (continue)

This book is a very good overview of the state of current American democracy. It is well researched and has very good reference to past historical events of relevance. The only thing which made it less than 100% credible is Al Gore's blistering attack, however well-justified, on the policies and practice of the current administration. As much as I agree that George Bush and his team has done a huge disservice to America in the last few years, I wish the next administration does not simply pass the buck by blaming the last guy in charge. The country as a whole, Democratic or Republican, needs to accept responsibility for mistakes made and bad choices executed. Only then can we move on.

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Ray Tseng said on Sep 4, 2007 | Add your feedback