The Things That Matter Most

Cal Thomas is one of the most important conservative columnists in America, and this collection from the first half of the 1990s contains some of his most hard-hitting columns ever. Rush Limbaugh wrote the foreword for this volume, in which Thomas speaks out for faith, family, and traditional morals, and in which he argues against big government and liberal indoctrination in the schools. If there could ever be such a thing as a manifesto for social conservatism, this book might be it.

Despite the fact that this book is over ten years old, it still hits hard. I found myself in tears many times over the fact that Cal is speaking the truth. This is an excellent read for those of you who have had it with our government trying to be all things to so many people. As a veteran High School teacher for many years, our schools are headed for catastrophe unless things are changed. The parents, or should I say lack of parenting is unbelievable. The baby boomer generation has failed miserably in the area of raising its young. As Cal points out, Bill Clinton was a perfect example of a sixties generation Icon. Popular, yes, but immoral and without godly character. Cal's big point is that we have no absolutes anymore. Our kids don't know right and wrong, and I as a teacher can't tell them! We live in such a society, where God is an entity that doesn't matter much for most people. Until we fear a knowable God, we don't have much hope. Thank you Cal, for having the courage to write about the truth, knowing that so many people are going to be against you.

At first I was not that enthralled with this book, okay but not excellent, it seemed that every problem that the liberals have caused could be traced back to the 1960's according to Cal. This just didn't ring true to me I honestly didn't think that today's modern liberals felt and thought the way that the hippie generation did. They have to had changed some of their thinking, after all it was so patently obvious that some of their ideas were downright deleterious to us as Humans and also to the country. I never fault anybody for trying, but once we see what we are doing is not working we need to move on, but liberals are amazing people. Let me explain, I have just read three left wing books in a row, Lying Liars, Dude where is my country and Big lies.And WOW it hit me; the liberal arguments have been the same over and over again. Their solutions are the same over and over again. But this is exactly what Cal Thomas was saying during the whole book. He kept hammering away that this liberal quagmire that has brought drugs, death, poverty, poor education and crime has been going one since the 60's and the same arguments. The answers are still the same but to think that the liberals of 2003 are using the same old arguments and answers that didn't work in the 90's or the 80's or the 70's or the 60's is mind boggling. I never used to think that liberals were stupid, but if you keep putting you hand into the fire and don't learn that fire is hot something is wrong with you.A good book that is useful to combat arrantly illogical liberal arguments. Cogent for today.

One would imagine a heavy dose of rightward-leaning reasoning from Cal Thomas; and this definitely meets or exceeds expectations! Thomas' writing style is engaging, sensible, combative and logical all at once. This book as a whole is best described as an intelligent pep rally for conservative readers. Thomas tends to brandish common sense as a big, blunt hammer, as he covers topics ranging from divorce to free speech to promiscuity to abortion. I found this style refreshing; but its occasionally polemic tone is sure to anger the left-leaning reader. His humor is also much more prevalent in his columns than in this book. Some of the authors' views (e.g., on evolution and flag burning) are too far to the right even for me; and I am a card-carrying Republican National Committee member. Still, liberals can appreciate this book, as evident in the back cover quote from left-wing icon Edward Kennedy: "Cal Thomas usually says the far right thing instead of the right thing, but I like reading him anyway." The book could have benefited greatly from more logical organization. Its chapter subjects appear randomly scattered, giving the reader good break-off points but little or no transition from one to another. However, almost every chapter topic can be used to illustrate one of these two themes: ===== 1) The left's tendency to try to solve problems by throwing money at them, and ===== 2) A massive ethical tranformation in popular society from individual responsibility to self-indulgence -- the true core of almost every problem we face. Though the book is several years old and out of print by now, its opinions and laments still ring familiar, for so many of his ideological targets remain disturbingly prominent.

I'm shocked that this book is OOP! It can't be very old, considering that Thomas talks quite a bit about the Clinton administration.The audio book version is very good. Cal Thomas reads it himself; he has a nice, steady, expressive voice which makes listening very easy. The book covers many intertwining social and political issues, from the abandonment of original Constitutional issues (no prayer in public schools because of "freedom of religion") to the effects of the 1960's culture on current politics (namely, Clinton)! Cal Thomas is very conservative, very opininated, but never "mean-spirited" - read at your own risk!