Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free - Hardcover

Pierce, Charles P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0767926145 ISBN 13: 9780767926140

Publisher: Doubleday & Co Inc., 2009

Synopsis

In his legendary career, Pierce has interviewed all manner of charlatans, politicians, demagogues and fanatics and is revered by journalists for his brilliant and ferocious Esquire articles exposing that idiocy in America is mainstream. More people vote for an American Idol than a president, the media is saturated with Paris and Britney, global warming is ignored and the internet is used a medium to spread ignorance. Pierce lets loose in him inimitable style on the foibles of society with a secret hope that being smart will fight against the trend to celebrate stupidity.

About this title

Review

“A raucous rant against the armies of the right. . . . Pierce is at his scathing, insightful best.”
—"The Boston Globe"
 
“A lively and, dare I say, intelligent study of the ongoing assault on gray matter.”
—Stephen Amidon, "The New York Observer"
 
“[A] witty and pointed indictment of our nation’s disturbing ability to vilify smart people and elevate chowderheads to positions of power and influence.”
—"The Salt Lake Tribune"
“For a good (if painful) laugh about creationism and other bits of American lunacy, try Charles Pierce’s "Idiot America". It’s a funny, sly version of an argument made recently by Al Gore in "The Assault on Reason", and by the brilliant Susan Jacoby in "The Age of American Unreason".”
—John A. Farrell, USNews.com
 
“There is only one Charles Pierce, and while that may be a good thing, it is also a damn good thing we have

A raucous rant against the armies of the right. . . . Pierce is at his scathing, insightful best.
The Boston Globe
A lively and, dare I say, intelligent study of the ongoing assault on gray matter.
Stephen Amidon, The New York Observer
[A] witty and pointed indictment of our nation s disturbing ability to vilify smart people and elevate chowderheads to positions of power and influence.
The Salt Lake Tribune
For a good (if painful) laugh about creationism and other bits of American lunacy, try Charles Pierce s Idiot America. It s a funny, sly version of an argument made recently by Al Gore in The Assault on Reason, and by the brilliant Susan Jacoby in The Age of American Unreason.
John A. Farrell, USNews.com
There is only one Charles Pierce, and while that may be a good thing, it is also a damn good thing we have his unique combination of gonzo, erudition, fearlessness, and eloquence to help us make sense of a senseless world. I stand in awe, and appreciation.
Eric Alterman, author Why We re Liberals and When Presidents Lie
Pierce penetrates, and the world feels less idiotic already.
Roy Blount Jr., author of Alphabet Juice and Long Time Leaving
Charles Pierce takes us on a brilliant and hilarious tour of the back roads of American idiotocracy through history skewering Atlantis-seekers, evolution deniers, jackasses, nincompoops, and right-wing know-it-alls with his trademark sledgehammer wit. Reading Pierce s Idiot America, I laughed myself stupid.
Amy Dickinson, author of The Mighty Queens of Freeville
Engaging. . . . Pierce delivers a rapier-sharp rant on how the America of Franklin and Edison, Fulton and Ford has devolved into America the Uninformed.
Publishers Weekly
There s a guy down at the end of the bar who s furiously angry, hilariously funny, and has an Irish poet s talent for language. He s been traveling the country, and he s been alternately appalled and moved by what he s found there, and, lucky you, he wants to tell you all about it. Listen.
Peter Sagal, author of The Book of Vice and host of NPR s Wait, Wait, Don t Tell Me"

"A raucous rant against the armies of the right. . . . Pierce is at his scathing, insightful best."
--The Boston Globe

"A lively and, dare I say, intelligent study of the ongoing assault on gray matter."
--Stephen Amidon, The New York Observer

"[A] witty and pointed indictment of our nation's disturbing ability to vilify smart people and elevate chowderheads to positions of power and influence."
--The Salt Lake Tribune

"For a good (if painful) laugh about creationism and other bits of American lunacy, try Charles Pierce's Idiot America. It's a funny, sly version of an argument made recently by Al Gore in The Assault on Reason, and by the brilliant Susan Jacoby in The Age of American Unreason."
--John A. Farrell, USNews.com

"There is only one Charles Pierce, and while that may be a good thing, it is also a damn good thing we have his unique combination of gonzo, erudition, fearlessness, and eloquence to help us make sense of a senseless world. I stand in awe, and appreciation."
--Eric Alterman, author Why We're Liberals and When Presidents Lie

"Pierce penetrates, and the world feels less idiotic already."
--Roy Blount Jr., author of Alphabet Juice and Long Time Leaving

"Charles Pierce takes us on a brilliant and hilarious tour of the back roads of American idiotocracy through history--skewering Atlantis-seekers, evolution deniers, jackasses, nincompoops, and right-wing know-it-alls with his trademark sledgehammer wit. Reading Pierce's Idiot America, I laughed myself stupid."
--Amy Dickinson, author of The Mighty Queens of Freeville

"Engaging. . . . Pierce delivers a rapier-sharp rant on how the America of Franklin and Edison, Fulton and Ford has devolved into America the Uninformed."
--Publishers Weekly

"There's a guy down at the end of the bar who's furiously angry, hilariously funny, and has an Irish poet's talent for language. He's been traveling the country, and he's been alternately appalled and moved by what he's found there, and, lucky you, he wants to tell you all about it. Listen."
--Peter Sagal, author of The Book of Vice and host of NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me

About the Author

CHARLES P. PIERCE has been a writer-at-large for Esquire since 1997 and is a frequent contributor to American Prospect and Slate. His work has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Nation, The Atlantic, and the Chicago Tribune, among other publications, and he is a regular on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and Only a Game.

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday & Co Inc.
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0767926145
• ISBN 13: 9780767926140
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 293