NOT COOL, The Hipster Elite and
Their War on You
By Greg Gutfeld
Date
Review Posted: March, 2014
Authors: Greg Gutfeld
Release
Date: March
2013
Web
site: www.ggutfeld.com
Mailing
List: http://ggutfeld.com/join-the-list/
***** (A
case could be made that I would only review the best of the best because if
while reading a book it does not hold my interest, I would not finish it and
therefore would not review it.)
Format:
Almost like a one-on-one conversation with you regarding America in 2014
Reason
For Reading THIS book: Read The Joy of Hate by Gutfeld and loved it,
only made sense to read a second Gutfeld book and I was not disappointed, it is
great!
Number
Of Times I Have Read This Book: Only once and I will probably read it again,
the second time pulling quotes from the book.
Brief
Summary of Content: "The longer I live, the more I'm
convinced the world's just one big high school, with the cool kids always
targeting the uncool." Greg Gutfeld from his book, The Joy of Hate, November 2012. What he means by this is, if you remember
your high school days, there were groups of students who either choose to be in
specific groups or were placed by others into specific groups. Some of these groups (jocks, the bad boys,
bullies, the elites and the wealthy) were considered "cool" groups to
be in whereas other groups (like people now referred to as nerds, academics,
maybe band members in some schools, people who refused to join in activities
considered unacceptable by their parents, geeks and sadly some students that
physical or mental disabilities and those students who were bullied) that were
considered "not cool." High
school was like a proving ground for a teenager's development of integrity -
doing the right thing at the right times, especially when no one was
watching. Yet it seemed like if you
wanted to "belong" you wanted to belong to the "cool" groups
instead of the "not cool" groups and that typically proved not to be
in your best interest. This book
explores how these groups have been reversed in today's America and why.
The above quote describes this
book in a very simple nutshell. I was
not sure what the book was all about but having read a previous book by Gutfeld
The Joy of Hate I knew I had to read
this one. The premise of the book is quite
simple, it talks about the difference between the people who the main streamers
of this country consider "cool" people and those it considers
"not cool" people. If you
never read the book, you may never know which group you fit in. Me? I
proudly have reserved a place in the "not cool" category, at least
for now. The book tells stories, talks
about people, interjects humor, actually lots of it, and points out where
America is going and you may not like the direction or his arguments especially
if you are in the "cool" category.
I felt like Greg was sitting across the table from me sharing a cup of
coffee and interjecting self deprecating humor throughout the conversation to make his
very strong points on today's America and its upside down value system and still
keeping it light and humorous as he always does and does very well.
What and who people once thought
to be "cool" are no longer "cool" and what and who people once
thought to be "not cool" are now thought to be cool. One only needs to look at people like Miley
Cyrus. Not too many years ago her
actions would definitely be considered "not cool" but today what
appears to be most peoples' standards (or lack thereof), Miley Cyrus is the
cool one and if you disagree you are the not cool one.
The chapter on the U. S. Military
is priceless maybe because I am retired military but I think not, it is
priceless because of Gutfeld's obvious appreciation of the men and women in
uniform and the sacrifices they quietly gave and continue to give to their
country while others like Miley Cyrus and the Hollywood elites get the
accolades. I am NOT a Viet Nam veteran
but I served in the military during the Viet Nam War (it was never a
"conflict"). I vividly
remember wearing my uniform in certain parts of the country and received
ridicule and was even called a baby killer so I know what it is like to be disrespected
by the country you serve and how you can go from being in the "cool"
crowd to being in the "not cool" crowd literally overnight. For Gutfeld's stand on the military, I like
everyone else in uniform am eternally grateful.
The chapter on the nuclear family
is also priceless as I grew up in an era where the family was where you learned
what was important in life, or not.
Again at my age I have seen what has happened to the American family
where it has gone from a family unit to one I no longer recognize and Gutfeld
does a great job in explaining why that has been permitted to happen in
America.
These are just two examples of
the contents of the book. I would
suppose that if you find yourself in the "cool" group of people in
America today you will not appreciate what I believe are the truths contained
in the book. In fact I would guess that
you will do your best to defend why you are considered to be "cool"
and probably proud of it instead of truly listening to the debate.
Personally I love this book,
probably because after reading it, I find myself on the "not cool"
side of most if not all of the arguments presented therein and take great
pleasure in declaring that I'm NOT COOL!
I highly recommend the book regardless of which side of the arguments
you find yourself on. But just maybe,
and more importantly hopefully, it might change your opinion or mind on the
various topics discussed.
Who
Should Read the Book? Everyone
who loves freedom, personal independence, personal responsibility and common
sense so that would make it everyone.
Final
Test: Would I read the book again? Absolutely!
Would I give it as a gift? ABSOLUTELY!
