Melanie Jensen

Author appears to have abandoned logic for ideological propaganda/ Smear

Revisado: 02-19-25

I have and often recommend three of the authors earlier books, as interesting and fairly good logic. This one is a disaster by comparison the first major presentation turns out to be a smear / slander of Donald Trump and a sitting Senator from Florida, with little logical connections or proofs of crime. Then there's a story about an "epidemic"of suicide in a town that basically without proof the author asserts is caused by the town being too uniformly successful and valueing academic and sports success but the people who commit suicide appear to have been succeeding not left out or failing folks. The author also includes a harsh condemnation of Harvard and Ivy League schools for letting in rich people's kids, by a back door. I agree those schools of course do that as most people know which seems slimy, but his evidence of letting in rich whites includes these schools losing in the supreme court on cases finding they unfairly and illegally discriminated against whites and asians and that somehow shows they unfairly disciminated in favor of the same groups? Seems a strange backward stretch. His politics are front and center or maybe just far farleft but his gift for logical presentation has abandoned him.

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Well writtenpropoganda for comunism and athiesm

Revisado: 07-06-24

The author under the pretext of sharing some historical and scientific information and various musings about ancient homosapiens strikes a strident drum beat in faovr of athiesm, moral relativism, communism and a more strident attack on personal responsibility, the ability of individuals to make any decisions at all or the possibility that people are ever anything other than brutal opressors of one another. On the plus side there are some historical facts and or musings about historical facts that are entertaining and somet that are probably accurate pieces of history although they are often presented with such preachy style and such a strong push towards promoting the authors personal political/moral positions as to undermine their value and credibility. Conclusions he reaches include his assertion that the development of people from hunter gathers to an agricultural farming society was a huge step back making virtually everyone extremely misserable including the need to feed all the extra mouths caused by people having more food and health and therefor far more kids and larger families, and having to maintin their modest homes instead of sleeping on rocks or the dirt. He also seems to believe without stating it directly that anyone who has more kids and larger families is somehow more misserable and unhappy, Independent of the plenty and good health and resources that leads to the larger families. He also potrays the U.S. Declaration of Independance as an evil document of subjugation. (In contrast to most historians who agree it led to increased freedom, prosperity, and self govenment for not only millions of Americans but for billions in the world.) Setting asside the strange conclusions that require extreme twisting of quasi logic together with making radical fringe morality and preference valuations; as I kept reading I was bombarded by two incongruous messages.
1] There is no right or wrong or good or bad, and
2] What society does especially modern society does in countries like America is the worst unfair evil imaginable. He does not propose any alternatives to cooperative groups or directly call for some "higher better reconomic or cooperation system he is clear there is probably nothing worse than the current system with the possible exception of the previous systems he mentions.

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starts "unbiased" shifts to extreme left push

Revisado: 07-03-23

Some good supposedly unbiased or only moderatley biased start then slips to articles where author takes turns referring to any current democrat leaders as children of Lincoln, truth, justce and the American way, and any Republicans are hateful evil . . . The author even seems to be referring to himself as a member of Team Garland the "noble group" trying to get Merik Garland onto supreme court over objections of Senate confirmation process. Pretense of reasoned thoughtful analysis seems badly undermined, by name calling and smear approach that unveils hardcore partisan leanings. some parts of book may still have value and provide insight but it is hard to give credibility to author after some harsh partisan rants, letting us know not just front runners but also secondary contestants for republican presidential nomination are in fact cousins of the Devil.

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Worst biography I have ever read.

Revisado: 06-22-23

I love biographies and read them frequently. Both of figures I admire and of some I question. This was the worst. It seems a long list of spin and attempts at character assasination. It draws references and suggests conclusions on unbased speculation. It argues Reagan was a failure as an actor because while he made lots of profitable movies and was well compensated he just wasn't Eroll Flynn or Rock Hudson. The author criticises Reagans first famous speach from four angles, and mischaracterises it badly. You can hear the actual audio of the speach on the internet with recorded audio feedback and it is way better than what the author tries to tell you. Not to author if you want to smear someone don't attack facts and evidence in the public domain people can actually exMine for themselves.

I could give 20 more examples but why waste your time. Pass on this one get one of the 20 other good biographies on Reagan or another President

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The basic ideas are good, but the proposed implementation is hypocritical at best.

Revisado: 01-18-23

This book explains the harm done to African Americans by the traditional schooling method of repressing black culture. However, the solution it provides is to turn that harm around and make teachers integrate with their students’ culture. This is hypocritical and ineffective. Anyone who has had a parent or teacher try to dive into the culture could tell you that it doesn’t work. Kids can tell when you’re being fake. I don’t doubt that the tactics in the book work for the author, but that’s because it is his culture. He relates to them because he was in their places not so long ago, but you and me and the white folks teaching in the hood weren’t. We can’t claim that natural connection. So if you’re having trouble connecting with your students, this book probably isn’t going to work for you.

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Lots of left wing slant

Revisado: 05-10-22

There are a few interesting anecdotes and insights on choice. Then a heavy dose of how capitalism free markets and most systems associated with America are less good than socialism.

At one point the author goes on at length on how many folks want to go back to the “safe controlled economies and systems” of government of Russia and other eastern block totalitarian socialist orders. I’m sorry but I know people who starved and suffered in those utopias so you have lost touch with the world I’m familiar with suggesting everyone there is pining for the return to rationing and starvation because they could equally starve together, except the part elites. Also there is over repeated the statement the author is not judging between free markets and socialism but let’s just tell you why socialism is the super victor and free markets are the devil. I’m okay if you want to attack free markets or capitalism or any other system which has some sound benefits, but don’t say your not judging and trashing it while repeatedly attacking it. In summary if your not politically left of Biden you might find the book hard to listen to as more than weak propaganda for the left. The irony is the author talks about the importance of understanding people and seeing things from their best light then does the opposite sets up pathetic straw men for theories she does not favor just to make them appear ridiculous.

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Vulgar arrogant brainless author

Revisado: 07-10-14

Would you try another book from Matt Taibbi and/or Patrick Egan?

I wouldn't read anything by this author.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Maltese Falcon, Biography of a recent political or business figure.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

narator was below average somewhat dull so I gave a 2 out of 5.

What character would you cut from Griftopia?

It is not that the "characters" should be cut. The author talks about events and people that are real but is so painfully biased in what he describes and his argumenst so inherently unsupported and caustic that it is like listening to finger nails on a chalk board.

Any additional comments?

I could not finish the book. It contained two elements that grated on me in the extreme.There were some occasional bits of interesting informtion, but the blow-hard demagoging and biased, unsupported arguments were insulting-- not because of their particular political leanings; but because of their weak,hole-filed contradictory logic.Also I felt like I was listeneing to a junior high kid who just learned to swear and insult people graphically for the first time and is so proud of his new "talent" that he adds new meaning to the phrase inanely inmature.If it hadn't been so caustic, I would have probably finished the book at least to understand the thinking pattern of the author, under the assumption there must be some group of people (however small), who have similar outlook, and though sequences or approach; but it was just too tedious and painful.This is the worst book I have read on Audible or elsewhere.

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