Arguing with Idiots

Abridged
Author: Glenn Beck
Narrator: Glenn Beck
Genres: Non-Fiction, Politics
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: September 2009
Length: 12 hours
Ratings:
  • Book Rating: 3.5/5
Formats:
  • CD
  • MP3

Overview

FUNNY.

FRIGHTENING.

TRUE.

It happens to all of us: You're minding your own business, when some idiot informs you that guns are evil, the Prius will save the planet, or the rich have to finally start paying their fair share of taxes.

Just go away! you think to yourself -- but they only become more obnoxious. Your heart rate quickens. You start to sweat. You can't get away. Your only hope is...

...this book.

Glenn Beck, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers An Inconvenient Book and Glenn Beck's Common Sense, has stumbled upon the secret formula to winning arguments against people with big mouths but small minds: knowing the facts.

And this book is full of them.

The next time your Idiot Friends tell you how gun control prevents gun violence, you'll tell them all about England's handgun ban (see page 53). When they tell you that we should copy the UK's health-care system, you'll recount the horrifying facts you read on page 244. And the next time an idiot tells you that vegetable prices will skyrocket without illegal workers, you'll stop saying "no, they won't" and you'll start saying, "actually, eliminating all illegal labor will cause us to spend just $8 a year more on produce." (See page 139.)

Idiots can't be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. If you know someone who fits the bill, then Arguing with Idiots will help you silence them once and for all with the ultimate weapon: the truth.

Reviews (3)

Had to force myself to keep listening

Written by Anonymous on October 23rd, 2009

  • Book Rating: 1/5

It used to be that the Liberals were the ones with the loud obnoxious rants.... now there is a new generation of older idiots to contend with. This guy talks as if he is using truth or logic, but none of the information gets backed up by any facts. It's one long rant - and not even a convincing one at that. If the Conservative movement ever wants to regain some sort of legitimacy or momentum, they'll need to distance themselves from this kind of ranting. It doesn't make an argument - just provokes a sort of mind-numbing, million mile stare and a tinge of disbelief that anyone could be so popular by being so ill-informed and inarticulate. If you enjoy pain and anxiety - by all means, give Beck a try!

Arguing With Idiots

Written by Reed Hansen on October 8th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Glen Beck is very funny but the thing about this book is just what it says in the description, The way to win arguments is to know the facts. This is what makes him so hated by the left, he is funny and he keeps bringing up facts that they would rather keep under the radar. I didn't like this book quite as much as An Inconvenient Book but it is a close call. If you are an unrepentant liberal you probably won't like this book, but if your mind is slightly open give Beck a try.

Glenn Beck needs to take a logic class

Written by Anonymous on October 5th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 1/5

Wow, so his arguments in the overview are all supported by the "ad hominem" and "strawman" fallacies - neither of which create valid arguments and are only used to solicit an emotional response. If the entire book is like this then what is the point of reading this? He has shown just from his description that the book has no substance and is full of "scare tactics."