Customer Reviews

Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I say bravo to Ms. Haddock and to her book! I believe this country needs more passionate input and action from its citizens with regards to our government and the political nightmare we have all help to create and Granny D - Delivers.

Ms. Haddock, as a Californian, may I suggest a sequel to your what I hope will become most successful book: Granny D2 - Raising a little more hell! This one could add "Recall Campaign Financing Reform" to the agenda!

Regarding the lone star reviewer: A Texan against campaign spending limits...what a surprise!

Granny D is a patriot. Since her amazing walk across the country promoting campaign finance reform at the ripe young age of 90, she has resisted retiring on memories of her amazing feat. She continues her work to reform our government, and is still actively working to return the rule of our government back into the hands of "We the People", from the moneyed hands of "we the corporations.

But read this book even if you disagree with the goals or politics of this woman. Read this book because the spirit of an authentic American citizen shines through and because she is a terrific writer.

And please, take with a rather large grain of salt, the comments of the previous writer; one can only wonder for which corporation he/she is a paid shill for.

I confess I too was prepared to find that Granny D was, shall we say, "eccentric"... but reading Doris's book I came to know and love her. She put her very life on the line for a cause she believed in, and through her tenacity, wit and courage brought it to the national consciousness. This book is basically her travel diary and memoir. She vividly describes the incredible diversity of people she met across the country, mostly ordinary working folks who shared her sense of disenfranchisement. She relates how devoting herself passionately to a worthy cause saved her life. Her amazing speeches, transcribed in the book, are real stem-winders -- hard to believe a retired shoe-factory worker wrote them. A great and inspiring read. See also the many reviews of the hardcover edition. "Fort Worth": you slung a lot of invective but didn't mention anything about the book; have you read it?

Even if you believe that money has no corrupting effects on politics (much less that it does so to the point that it may subordinate national health and security to the almighty corporate interest) then you should be able to appreciate the fact that an 89 year old woman decided to walk from coast to coast in protest of what she saw as a deterioration of the American system. When Margaret Mitchell was asked what Gone with the Wind was about, she replied that it was about Gumption. I've always thought that was a great adjective for the great American novel. While the rest of us may wring our hands (and write online reviews) when faced with adversity, some people decide they have to do something and do it. That is what makes this country the best in the world and Granny D represents that most American trait-- gumption.

To read about this amazing woman makes me realize that everyone can do more to make life in America better. When someone, who worked for years in a shoe factory, can spend 45 years of her life changing the things that are wrong. Here's a description from the Granny D website:
"In 2003 and 2004, she embarked on a 23,000 mile tour of the "swing states," encouraging women and the residents of poor neighborhoods to register to vote. She walked through housing projects considered too dangerous to visit by many, and registering voters all along her way.

In the spring of 1994, at the age of 94, when no Democrat would run against popular U.S Senator Judd Gregg in her home state of New Hampshire, she announced for the seat, with the idea that she would use the campaign to speak out against the Bush policies. Even through she was the official Democratic Party nominee for the seat, she refused all special interest PAC contributions, walking the neighborhoods of the state to talk to people directly. When the red state of New Hampshire turned blue in 2004 presidential vote by a mere 9,000 votes, her campaign was given a share of the credit."
This lady is 96 years old and still making a difference!!!

Before 89-year-old "Granny D" Haddock walked 3,200 miles across the United States to protest against the influence of big business on government, she spent several months getting in shape. She gradually built up her stamina by walking 10 miles a day carrying a 25-pound backpack and being able to "sleep on the hard ground in a sleeping bag without crying about it." She was also prepared to "thumb a ride," according to the advice of her 64-year-old son, who anticipated a time when she would "come to her senses and want to get home from the middle of nowhere." She summarizes her training experience: "Through all of 1998 I walked and walked, probably about eight hundred miles in all, wearing out one good pair of hiking shoes." Republican Senator John McCain later bought her a new pair of sneakers when she was running for U.S. Senate on the Democratic ticket. (Pun intended!) Who says the hawks and doves can't work together for a good cause?!

All us baby boomers need to look to the example of Granny D and other spunky eldsters to stay in shape as we get older. As I discovered myself, regular exercise leads to physical fitness and a better quality of life as we get older.

Richard Kownacki, Ph.D. Author of: Do Not Go Gentle: Successful Aging for Baby Boomers and All Generations

I have not purchased this book yet. I DEFINITELY plan on ordering a copy. But I have watched her documentary, and it inspires me to get into the political game. Rest In Peace Granny D, you lived an amazing life and you are the first step in a reformed, more TRUE democracy free from lobbyists and high campaign finances!!

Granny D's book will inspire even the laziest and most cynical to at least email their elected representatives. She makes you believe that you can make a difference; that government is and should be about the regular people, not the giant corporations.