How to Win a Fight with a Conservative [Paperback]

Daniel Kurtzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

Partisan warfare has never been so much fun.

How to Win a Fight With a Conservative is the ultimate survival guide to arguing politics, filled with all the cunning strategies, damning facts, and merciless ridicule liberals need to give their conservative "friends, neighbors and countrymen" the verbal smackdown of a lifetime.

With the presidential election approaching, this irreverent yet practical guide is essential reading for unpracticed neophytes and seasoned politicos alike—the perfect primer for anyone who's ever fantasized about smacking sense into a misguided right-wing adversary.

Includes:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Partisans
• The Conservative Hall of Shame
• How to Detect Lies, Propaganda, and General BS
• Kick-Ass Arguments: A Step-by-Step Guide

...and much, much more!

This roadmap to success will help you size up, knock down, and win over your conservative rivals—without making yourself the target of the local militia.

PRAISE FOR DANIEL KURTZMAN

"You should pick up this book before your next dinner party."
Gayle King, editor-at-large of O, The Oprah Magazine and host of "The Gayle King Show" on Oprah and Friends

"Daniel Kurtzman doesn't have a political axe to grind. He has two axes to grind. And he does it with the sharpest wit seen in these bipartisan parts for quite some time. Crisscrossing the aisle with wicked glee; no matter which book you finish first, you'll immediately want to run out and get the other one to discover what he said about your side. Just remember to wear a disguise."
Will Durst, political satirist and author of The All-American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing

"No one knows political satire like Daniel Kurtzman."
Andy Borowitz, creator of The Borowitz Report and author of The Republican Playbook

"When the folks over at JibJab are looking for a fair and balanced laugh, Daniel Kurtzman's our guy. His How to Win a Fight with a Liberal / Conservative will have you in stitches regardless of your political affiliation!"
Gregg Spiridellis, co-founder of JibJab.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

"You should pick up this book before your next dinner party."
--Gayle King, editor-at-large of O, The Oprah Magazine and host of "The Gayle King Show" on Oprah and Friends

Book Description

"No one knows political satire like Daniel Kurtzman."
--Andy Borowitz, creator of The Borowitz Report and author of The Republican Playbook

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 177 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Hysteria (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402208804
• ISBN-13: 978-1402208805
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Kurtzman is a former Washington correspondent-turned political satirist who chronicles the absurdities of politics as editor of politicalhumor.about.com, the popular website that is part of The New York Times Company's About.com network. An equal opportunity offender, Kurtzman is author of the dueling humor books, "How to Win a Fight with a Conservative" and "How to Win a Fight with a Liberal" -- the ultimate survival guides to arguing politics. His political commentaries and humor articles have appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Huffington Post, among other publications. He has been widely cited as an expert on political humor by major media outlets around the country, while appearing as a commentator on CNN and ABC radio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

131 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Really Humorous Book, Just Don't Take it Too Seriously, January 20, 2008

By 

Roger D. Launius "Historian" (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Win a Fight with a Conservative (Paperback)

A friend gave me this book for Christmas this year because she knew how much I enjoyed ranting about politics. While it is not truly a self-help book, and I doubt anyone will win a fight with a conservative by following its directions, it is an enjoyable little diversion that made me laugh. Daniel Kurtzman is a good satirist and his jabs are hilarious. For instance, he divides the conservative movement into several cleverly named segments:
(1) Rapturfarians--Christian fundamentalists.
(2) Enron-omists--über capitalists.
(3) Big Brethren--militant authoritarians.
(4) Gunfederates--people with confederate flags and gun racks in their pickup trucks.
(5) Spongebob-ophobes--militant anti-gay activists.
(6) Crusadomasochists--imperialistic neoconservatives.
Clever names to be sure, but the descriptions are just as humorous. The rest of the book is just as much fun. I should mention that Daniel Kurtzman is an equal opportunity satirist; he also published in 2007 another guide, "How to Win a Fight with a Liberal," that takes aim at those on the left. It is just as humorous.

73 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Fabulosity., June 21, 2007

By 

Esoterica (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Win a Fight with a Conservative (Paperback)

I came across this book (and its partner) by accident and bought them as a gift for someone who spends most evenings yelling at Fox News. Since his yelling doesn't seem to make any difference to the TV, I thought maybe if he had some practical advice for handling a political debate things might improve...

These books (Of course I bought both. How can you not?) are so clever and funny that I ended up reading them both myself before turning them over to the gift recipient. They are chock-full of "funny-because-it's-true" moments, great quotes, and my personal favorite, a schedule for a typical day in the life of liberals and conservatives. Hysterical.

Oh yeah, and the gift recipient loved them, too.

60 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and surprisingly insightful, November 25, 2007

By 

S. Rosenberg (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Win a Fight with a Conservative (Paperback)

I picked up a copy of this book before taking a flight home for Thanksgiving. I come from an ultra-conservative family, and figured I could use a little ammunition just in case things turned ugly at the dinner table, like they usually do. I found some surprisingly useful tips, especially the chapter on how to detect logical fallacies. But most of all, the book made me laugh. My favorite parts were the dueling Liberal and Conservative Manifestos ("Conservatives believe in beautiful Hummers befouling spacious skies, amber waves of abstinent teens, and crowning thy good with estate tax cuts"). I'm planning to give out copies to a few friends whose families are even crazier than mine.