Makers and Takers: Why Conservatives Work Harder, Feel Happier, Have Closer Families, Take Fewer Drugs, Give More Generously, Value Hones

This is a breezy, eye-opening page-turner. Apparently my whole life I've been leaning left and never realized it! I guess it all happened in school; I was an educational by-product of the 70s. A living example of an inculcated indoctrinée. Until now. Schweizer brilliantly grabs the reader's attention by reciting mainstream media's insidious and unchallenged commentary on (among other descriptors) "mean," selfish, greedy, gun-loving conservatives. Then the fun begins as he brilliantly begins to unravel the myths -- as gently and easily as if he were unraveling a knitted scarf, loop by loop. Revealing them as flat-out untruths (a term which Schweizer knows liberals know all too well). As one example, Vanity Fair editor James Wolcott's contention that the interior "red" states are a depressing home to higher incarceration, suicide and illegitimate birth rates is immediately invalidated by Schweizer's deft observation that Wolcott's statistics are skewed (by the simple fact that the culpable blue counties within these red states had been overlooked). The book quietly and confidently revels in further observations such as this. (It's a shame the book was published before Florida Democrat Tim Mahoney could take his place in the corner beside Republican Mark Foley, who is mentioned in passing. Perhaps there'll be a sequel.). Schweizer knocks down one argument after another until the reader is absolutely convinced of the author's claims that conservatives ARE more generous, more productive, better informed, calmer, happier and more ethical than liberals. And nicer to their mothers. Liberals are, in fact, the jealous and sinister younger sibling of conservatives (I swear -- it didn't dawn on me what sinister actually meant until after I wrote this sentence!). Schweizer provides no shortage of concrete examples to support every aspect of his thesis: that conservatives are the makers and liberals are the takers in our society. As a work, Schweizer's prose is clean, straightforward, intelligent, logical, well-researched and supported by copious documentation (despite at least one instance where I was disappointed not to find an actual endnote (the above Wolcott example)). Are we in the midst of a counter counter-culture? Are we taking a right turn back to that fork in the road that led us astray? Perhaps the time is right.

Anyone who is not a liberal has noted how they continuously heap praise upon themselves for their moral superiority, while at the same time demonstrating a priggish hostility to those who disagree with them. In this fascinating book, the author undertakes to examine the liberals' mindset, contrasting their words with their deeds. Everything is covered here, from helping the poor (who actually gives the most of their own income to the needy), to just plain being happy. Want to understand the real, bedrock differences between conservatives and liberals? Read this book! Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and insightful read. The author does an excellent job of comparing and contrasting people's words with their actual deeds, drawing on many public and private sources, including many surveys and scientific studies. I think that this is a very interesting book, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Peter Schweizer has elevated the national debate again. Rising above the he-said/she said din of cable news debates, Peter has produced a well-researched and fascinating analysis of the psychology that is inherent in liberalism. By reviewing scores of peer-reviewed, large-scale public surveys; Peter exposes many misperceptions that are regularly promoted in the media. The public has generally accepted many of the precepts of the liberal message: Conservatives are mean, self-centered, cheating, uncharitable, and unhappy - the facts just don't bear this out. In a sense all of these false beliefs and constructs define factitious disorder syndrome. Better known as Munchausen syndrome, these disorders are characterized by exactly the same self-delusional and malingering traits exposed in Makers and Takers. If Munchausen by proxy means inflicting the disorder on others, then surely the United States is the left's proxy. Those who are naturally inclined to resist personal responsibility and accountability find a happy and willing enabler in liberalism. Since the primary motive of Munchausen is to obtain sympathy, nurturance and attention; the drumbeat message of liberalism over the last 40 years is surely a sirens song and a likely motivation to perpetrate this fraudulent view of conservatives. The question I have is this: If one man, researching publicly available data on his own can produce this work, how could the thousands of so-called political science professors and researchers have missed it all this time?

finally a book that explains the basis for liberal and conservative philosophies and does so in a way that shows how the left in america are a paradox of themselves...this book showcases why the left in america think the way they do, act the way they do, and go about their daily lives in a manner that is more hypocritical than anything...full of quotes, stats, and stories that explain why the left in america, from its politicians to the media to special interest groups, dont even stand for what they say they believe in and they go ahead and say it anyway...a must read for anyone who wants to understand the political ideologies of people go much farther than how they feel about certain political issues...their political ideologies are a reflection about the very foundaitons about how they view life in general...entertaining and useful because although the content does not praise the right, it does use evidence that supports the right and allows the reader to make his/her own decisions based on the reading

Peter Schweizer is the master at busting open locked doors. In Makers and Takers he clears up common misconceptions about conservatives that the left feeds America through the mainstream media. Not only is the content interesting, but Schweizer writes in an entertaining way. This book is the one you MUST read; but a warning: once you begin you'll be so addicted you don't want to stop!