Official Review: Deliverance from Stupidparty Land

[kislany]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Deliverance from Stupidparty Land" by Patrick Andendall.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Deliverance from Stupidparty Land by Patrick Andendall is a non-fiction book that shows us the main issues America faces at the hands of the Republican Party. It demonstrates that when people ignore facts, they are getting lulled into a false sense of security, allowing oligarchs to place even more barriers between the 1% and the average Americans. The book is the third in the author’s Stupidparty Land series.

My views mostly align with the author’s thoughts on these contemporary issues, and I was curious about his take on the current political climate. Some important topics Andendall touches on are the tax reform that gives to the rich and takes from the poor, Cambridge Analytica which became a major influencer of the election results of 2016, and religion (fake Christianity vs. true Christianity).

The author does a great job of supplementing his main arguments with website screenshots, charts, graphs, and statistics. He leaves no stone unturned, and he hammers a point home until it is fully understood. For example, he highlights the importance of fact-checking as opposed to watching Fox and Friends as an exclusive news source. There are several websites available for verifying the information coming from the president’s tweets or the White House statements. Yet, most people take such announcements at their face value. Above all, the author tries to teach and educate people on the dangers of following a party without learning what that party truly stands for.

While I was already familiar with most of what Andendall talked about (Reddit’s Politics sub is great for keeping up with American political news), I learned a few new things. For example, I found the chapter on philanthropy quite enlightening. We all know that the rich give a lot of money to charities and various other non-profit organizations. The author, however, pinpoints where the money really goes. Again, fact-checking helps because we can easily follow the money rather than take a person’s word for it.

At almost 500 pages, the book is rather long. Still, the author doesn’t waste words using fluff content. Every page is chock full of relevant information, although some of it might be somewhat difficult for people who haven’t been particularly interested in American politics lately.

In terms of editing, I haven’t found too many grammatical errors, which means the book was properly edited. I have noticed, however, that when the author became very engaged in a topic, he went on, forgetting about breaking sentences into smaller chunks. He seemed to lose sight of the fact that he was writing a book and not giving a speech on a podium. Here is such a sentence I still don’t understand:

This “worst set”, followed by the verifiably most absurd, white (of course) Mormons—after that the white Catholics, who for the first time in decades would do well to listen to their leader: Pope Francis (see Appendix 2); followed by the not-so-bad white Protestants (Protestants by definition protest fundamentalism), unless of course you live in “upside-down world” red state U.S.

The book has several similar long-winded sentences, which could be slightly irritating to read. I haven’t marked them as grammatical errors because technically they might be correct. They are just hard to understand. That’s why I give Deliverance from Stupidparty Land 3 out of 4 stars. A round of editing to trim and tighten the text could award it full 4 stars.

The work is brutal, and it pulls no punches when it comes to the Republican Party, the same party that made President Trump happen. Thus, here is my warning: if you voted for Donald Trump, read no further. It is not the book for you unless the last two years have made you worry a little. It is targeting anyone who questions the ongoing situation in America, people who haven’t bothered to vote, and those who will be old enough to vote for the first time in 2020.

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Deliverance from Stupidparty Land
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[kdstrack]

I agree with the author's premise that we need to check the facts. This is getting more difficult as time passes and we depend on what we can read online. You did a wonderful job with this heavy material! Great job!

[kandscreeley]

I don't like political books, especially ones that lean toward one side or the other. It's neither the Republicans nor the Democrats fault that America is the way it is (at least not completely). I feel we should be talking about how to make it better. Anyway, I don't think this one is for me. Thanks, though.

[Erin Painter Baker]

While this book seems like one I would agree completely with, I am always a little concerned with political books that are preaching to the choir. They seem to strengthen people's resolve to see people with differing political views as "the other", and that never seems to work out very well. I would be happier if the book were a little more balanced in its criticism of the parties, even though I might agree with it less, because that would open up the option for more people to read and perhaps gain a better understanding of the arguments.