Book Review: A Cry from the Far Middle by P.J. O’Rourke

About:
A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land by P.J. O’Rourke is a humorous look at today’s charged political climate. Mr. O’Rourke is a political pundit, author, reporter, and frequent guest on political shows.

• 320 pages
• ISBN-10 : 0802157734
• Publisher : Atlantic Monthly Press
  
• Language: : English

My rating for A Cry from the Far Middle – 4
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Thoughts:
This my first foray into downloaded Netgalley audio books, and after a bit of a learning curve, I have to say that I’ll happily continue to listen to books this way. As a political junky I was happy to listen to this book, since I’m familiar with the author’s views, read articles by him and listen to him on TV and other media I’m following.

A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land by P.J. O’Rourke is as funny as one can get in the current US political climate. As hard as he tries, and he tries hard, the author managed to put a smile on my face, and get a few laughs as well. As many of us realized, the country is fractured and Mr. O’Rourke begins with a fun history lesson about the Roanoke colony to make a point about polarization, along with a silly quiz to figure out on which side you’re on.

One could tell that he is not happy with any side of the political isle. Mr. O’Rourke identifies as a Libertarian, but it’s clear he looks down more on the bleeding hearts on the left, than the hypocrites on the right. He takes shots at everyone, but his observations on left seem acute, some just lazy, while the observations on the right seem to be forced in order to be perceived even handed.

I appreciate the effort the author puts in, there isn’t much one could say at this point that hasn’t been said. We’re a few week away from the general election and it seems everyone has already made up their minds. Mr. O’Rourke knows this and isn’t trying to change anyone’s mind. In fairness, in all the years of reading his work and listening to him, he has only tried to bring forth observations, never to convince someone.

The essays in this book or intelligent, charming, and often cranky. I know Mr. O’Rourke sees himself as a Libertarian, and probably a classical conservative, so I was interested to hear what he has to say on the current administration.
He’s not too happy, to say the least.

Mr. O’Rourke puts together the wide range of topics he ranted about: Founding Fathers to technology, sympathy vs. empathy, nationalism vs. patriotism, and even why the government can’t be run like a business, and more. At the end of the book, the author makes his case for the country to come together in the middle, if I was talking to him, I would say that we have no idea where the middle is, even the title of this book can’t agree on it (what is the “far middle”?)

Buy A Cry from the Far Middle from Amazon.com*
More Books by P.J. O’Rourke*

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer: I got this book for free.
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account