Book Review: Bernie Sanders: Has anyone read . . .

[Vidal]

Have you read any of Sanders' books?

If so, please let us know what you think.

Were there new ideas mentioned and discussed, or rehash of old ideas?

Thanks!

[NastyRiffraff]

1. I'd rather read an old telephone book

from the 1990s

[NurseJackie]

6. It starts off slow, but when you get to the Clarks. There's a big twist at Murphy...

It starts off slow, but when you get to the Clarks. There's a big twist at Murphy... you'll never see it coming (and that's all I'll say so I don't ruin the surprise.)

[NYMinute]

2. I have been horrified when I read his essays nt

[NurseJackie]

7. So was I.

And that's all I'll say for obvious reasons.

[Kahuna7]

8. Yep...

[Demsrule86]

3. God no...I would read nothing Sen. Sanders has written...no interest.

[Hortensis]

4. I downloaded a Kindle sample of his

Where We Go From Here.

The very first paragraph states, "...real change never occurs from the top down. It always happens from the bottom up." That's simply not true unless you consider many enormous changes like rural electrification, intra- and interstate highways, development of antibiotics (a giant revolution!), all the New Deal programs and regulations and the (whisper it) ACA not "real change." If you include all the real top-down changes the list runs to thousands. Anyone who thinks thousands of sewage systems, public health systems, and just plain roads (!!!) aren't vitally important to our freedom and wellbeing is hugely disconnected from reality. The giant center of power is where citizens go to make things happen that are too big for them.

There's enough obvious truth to carry thought forward, though, and certainly lots of statements I agree with, just good sense in many cases; but, like Rush Limbaugh's arguments, they always lead to conclusions I where I can't follow. I'm part of a giant disaffected majority always betrayed by, well, people exactly like me though he only blames the people we elect. (Am I stupid or what? BUT just in need of a leader who finally represents me.)

But who can argue with "The good news is that the American people are far more united than the media would like us to believe" and "too many of us are getting angry at the wrong people"?

It's a campaign book for a populist bottom-up overthrow of existing systems and presents the view he wants voters to take of the 2016 election. He writes just fine, with a positive, inspiring tone, and simply enough for anyone to follow. But imo it is not where truth seekers would look for truth but rather where a disaffected minority would go for reassurance that they are part of a true, giant majority, and that profound ignorance of the principles of our liberal government and what the Democratic Party is and believes in is no barrier to wisdom. And of course that he's the leader they want.

The sample ends in the middle of his discussion of his determination to rewrite the Democratic platform and misses what I'm sure is the good part. I didn't purchase the book.

[comradebillyboy]

5. I'd rather get a root canal.