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Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter

Promotional Information

Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter

About the Author

Rick Shenkman is the editor and founder of the History News Network and Associate Professor of History at George Mason University. New York Times best-selling author of five history books, including Legends, Lies & Cherished Myths of American History, he appears regularly as a commentator on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. Educated at Vassar and Harvard, Shenkman is an award-winning investigative reporter and the former managing editor of KIRO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Seattle. He lives in Seattle, Washington. http://howstupidblog.com

Reviews

"New York Observer"
"Slender, lively and highly accessible ....it tackles one of the weightiest problems troubling American public life"

Bernard A. Weisberger, author of "America Afire"
"With wit, passion and devastating evidence, Shenkman compels us, the praised and petted 'American people, ' to look in the mirror for an explanation of why our elections are travesties of informed, intelligent debate. Lively and crucial, the book reminds us, however we vote, that there's no such animal as 'democracy for dummies.'"

Jon Wiener, Professor of History at University of California at Irvine and author of "Historians in Trouble"
"The bad news is that Americans are ignorant, shortsighted, and swayed by meaningless phrases; the good news is that things could get better--if we start speaking honestly about the problem. Rick Shenkman's book is a crucial starting point in that process."

Michael Beschloss
"At a moment when Americans are choosing leaders, Rick Shenkman's brisk, provocative and vigorously argued book implores us to rethink our roles as citizens and improve our political environment. There could not be a better time for this important message."

Rick Perlstein, author of "Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of American Consensus"
"A smart, stylish, and witty wrestling match with the most difficult problem a democracy can face."

Ruth Rosen, Professor Emerita of History, University of California, Davis
"Are manipulative politicians and an intimidated media the only reasons we've had to suffer through the Bush years? What about the American people? Why don't they stop, pay attention, and think for themselves? In his candid and hard-hitting history of American political culture, Shenkman offers a compelling and disturbing analysis of the American people and why we get the government we deserve."

"New York Observer"
"Slender, lively and highly accessible ....it tackles one of the weightiest problems troubling American public life"
Bernard A. Weisberger, author of "America Afire"
"With wit, passion and devastating evidence, Shenkman compels us, the praised and petted 'American people, ' to look in the mirror for an explanation of why our elections are travesties of informed, intelligent debate. Lively and crucial, the book reminds us, however we vote, that there's no such animal as 'democracy for dummies.'"
Jon Wiener, Professor of History at University of California at Irvine and author of "Historians in Trouble"
"The bad news is that Americans are ignorant, shortsighted, and swayed by meaningless phrases; the good news is that things could get better--if we start speaking honestly about the problem. Rick Shenkman's book is a crucial starting point in that process."
Michael Beschloss
"At a moment when Americans are choosing leaders, Rick Shenkman's brisk, provocative and vigorously argued book implores us to rethink our roles as citizens and improve our political environment. There could not be a better time for this important message."
Rick Perlstein, author of "Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of American Consensus"
"A smart, stylish, and witty wrestling match with the most difficult problem a democracy can face."
Ruth Rosen, Professor Emerita of History, University of California, Davis
"Are manipulative politicians and an intimidated media the only reasons we've had to suffer through the Bush years? What about the American people? Why don't they stop, pay attention, and think for themselves? In his candid and hard-hitting history of American political culture, Shenkman offers a compelling and disturbing analysis of the American people and why we get the government we deserve."

Shenkman (history, George Mason Univ.; Presidential Ambition) combines his talents as a reporter and a historian to assess why the American voter can be rational and yet so capable of "being played like a fiddle" by politicians. The vaunted "People" (a misconceived American notion, he says) fail sufficiently to understand the issues or the nuances of debate. While more Americans have college degrees, presidential speeches are now pitched to the seventh-grade level. Providing fascinating background and current observations, Shenkman is ultimately optimistic. Highly recommended for public libraries. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.