I picked this up because Charlie Pierce can be funny on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. He lays out his great principles of Idiot America: 1. Anything that moves units gets respect. 2. Anything can be true if it is shouted loudly and 3. If enough people believe it it becomes fact. Then he gives a lot of examples. This book didn't contain enough jokes or weird facts to offset the depression and frustration the examples caused. It's not the comedy I expected so I didn't enjoy it. I thought this book was very insightful, and not at all the rant against people the author didn't like I thought it was going to be.It posited there are three pillars of idiocy that seemed to govern Americans' thought processes, and then gave examples illustrated by recent events. The three pillars of idiocy are:If an idea moves units, it is valid.An idea is valid if shouted often or loudly enough.An idea is true if enough people believe it to be so.I believe our society's current state is the direct result of choosing the pillars of idiocy, rather than embracing skepticism, reason, and logic. I am even more sure of it now.
Not a bad book. A bit tedious to read but overall worth a look, especially as an educator.
—saraheflynn
"If everyone is an expert, then nobody is." - Charles P. Pierce
—maenixero
Unfortunately this book wasn't very informative or humorous.
—ccannafarina
Didnt care for this book, far too biased in my opinion.
—kevin
Come on down to Kabuki town.
—miqueen
