Customer Reviews

Letters to a Young Conservative (Art of Mentoring)

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Mr. D'Souza has written a fine introduction to conservatism as we find it in the contemporary era. As one volume in the interesting series, The Art of Mentoring (from Basic Books), D'Souza addresses his conception of conservative politics to a young college student thru a series of brief, witty, and well-informed epistles. As a man who has had an impact on campus conservatism, first as a contributor to the nearly legendary Dartmouth Review and later thru his own books (ILLIBERAL EDUCATION and THE END OF RACISM among others), D'Souza is well-placed to polemicize conservatism for a college audience. Recommended for young conservatives and libertarians, and for older ones who may have forgotten the fiery, early arguments which brought them to their positions--the Right and correct positions, I hasten to add!

I am a 24 African American, and I found this book to be a mind opener. I live at a campus that is very liberal and every day I get shrill after shrill about how awful America is. I swear to GOD I have never gotten a differnt view point about america. I always just thought my counrty was sick and somehow evil but this book brings some light into the complexity of this nation. I am so sick of the attacks on this country by proffesors and liberals. The students are talking about transvestive studies being added to my school, and why I am homophobic if I dont support it...pleeease!! I have had it I think the saying is true a conservative is a liberal who has been robbed and I think I ahve gotten robbed and I am mad, very mad. I am still a democrat but I am voting Republican 2004. I am so sick of this ...
God bless america

Dinesh D'Souza has written here about the very foundation for conservatism and why he holds to conservative values. This book is a must-buy for liberals and conservatives. I would encourage liberals to pick it up not to be 'enlightened', but rather, at the very least, to understand where conservatives are coming from. Conservatives will enjoy reading D'Souza's candid analysis of affirmative action, feminism, and multiculturalism. Dinesh truly understands the issues, addresses both arguments, and cites many examples throughout of why conservative doctrine is legitimate. All in all, it's a great book for both political and social understanding. Highly recommended.

In this slim yet strong new book, "Letters to a Young Conservative," Dinesh D'Souza presents a discussion aimed to those entering the liberal bastion of academia. The reader benefits from the author's political experience from his days as founder of the Dartmouth Review, to his work as domestic policy analyst under Ronald Reagan.

D'Souza covers a wide array of topics that a student will likely hear on campus from the true nature of political correctness to the causes it champions such as affirmative action, abortion, gun control, anti-globalization, etc. D'Souza can be amusing and irreverant in his descriptions and stories, but is always successful in exposing the liberal agenda truthfully and accurately.

Although D'Souza could have expanded his discussion on certain areas, "Letters to a Young Conservative" is a great start for anyone who seeks a broader understanding of politics and the rationale behind various political issues.

Occasionally a book comes along that validates the old cliché about being so good that you can't put it down. Dinesh D'Souza's Letters to a Young Conservative is absolutely one such book. In it he writes a series of letters, thirty-one in all, to a fictional young undergraduate conservative named Chris. The premise is that Chris has written D'Souza after seeing him speak at his university. Chris is overwhelmed by the leftist politically correct atmosphere at his college and D'Souza comforts him by giving counsel on every imaginable topic in the realm of ideas. His arguments draw on nearly twenty-five years of street fighting within the conservative movement. This work is part of a series by Basic Books of established older masters offering advice to the young, and includes Christopher Hitchens' outstanding Letters to a Young Contrarian.
D'Souza's book is a moving, exquisite pep-talk for all right-minded thinkers regardless of age. It is not an explosive tirade and instead is a series of quiet, rational arguments designed to illustrate that anything is possible if one is reflective and patient. The work is truly deceiving due to its accessibility and style. D'Souza is not verbose and writes highly comprehensible sentences. The clarity of the text is problematic as you may plow through a few pages before realizing that D'Souza has just written something quite profound. As a warning, you should not begin reading this hardback if you have vocational or personal interests that cannot be immediately neglected because the enlightenment the book issues is highly addictive.
The material is serious for the most part but there are a few occasions where the reader may find his or her self laughing out loud after ingesting the exploits of D'Souza and his college peers who worked at the samizdat, The Dartmouth Review. They were one of the first, if not the very first, alternative conservative college publications in the country and the militancy of the left at Dartmouth propelled D'Souza to their ranks even though he initially entered college as a liberal.
He and his friends bait the existing power hierarchy repeatedly but on no occasion so humorously as when they protest the university's expenditures on the Gay Students' Association. The Dartmouth Review viewed this as being inappropriate and discriminatory as it was awarding funds to individuals based on sexual orientation only. Their way of dealing with the quandary was quite novel to say the least.
D'Souza and peers, to illustrate the ridiculousness of such organizations, formed The Dartmouth Bestiality Society and even appointed a president and zookeeper. They then went to the dean to ask for support but the dean responded that no support was necessary as there was no interest in such activities at Dartmouth. The President of the Bestiality Society responded with, "That may be true, Dean Hanson, but it is because of centuries of discrimination! Those of us who are inclined toward animals have been systematically excluded and ostracized. Our organization will provide a supportive atmosphere in which people of our particular sexual orientation are treated with respect. At Dartmouth...let us put an end to beast phobia." [p.28] Their method may be extreme but it teaches the moral that ridicule is a potent force when dealing with the absurdity that is multi-cultural theory and diversity in America. They may not have won the battle but nearly everyone held the Gay Students' Association in a different light after their proposal.
D'Souza has some very original arguments in the book that should help the reader in dealing with the ever present emotional tirades thrown by liberals. This reviewer's favorite chapter was the one on the temperament of conservatives versus that of liberals. The most important point in the book, and certainly the argument that the author most needed to make, is that conservatives are a far happier lot than liberals. This is due to the fact that we have already embraced the realities of our world and the inherent flaws within human nature. As we view ourselves as being part of a historical continuum, we do not attempt to wrestle with forces that cannot change so we accept our limited place in the scheme of things and never experience emotional meltdown when we discover that legislation cannot alter the flaws of humanity.
This book is a recording of quintessential songs to be learned and sung by any who are a David beneath the boot of the leftist Goliath. This Goliath has the media as a sword and the universities and the public schools as his spear, but with the help of D'Souza, independent media outlets, and patriotic fervor, we may be able to stone this unruly Goliath back into the bronze age.

Being a high school student, I get liberalism shoved down my throat every day that I go to school. This book has given me the tools to fight back against the liberal lies and an opportunity to finally see both, not one, side of the political spectrum. Every high school student should read this book because it is an easy, fast reading book that will dispel many of the myths that high school teachers have embedded into our thought process.

I have recently become a big fan of Dinesh D'Souzas writings. After reading his book, "What's So Great About America", I needed to read more. So I bought this book. I am only on Chaper 3, and am thoroughly impressed again. He is such an intelligent author. He is very educated in what he is writing, and you find yourself agreeing out loud with every sentence written. His thinking is so logical, ethical and impressive - and if we could just make liberals read his work, they would turn Conservative so fast, your head would spin.

D'Souza continues his winning streak by writing another fabulous book. The fact that liberals react to this book like Linda Blair to the crucifix is an added bonus.

A very interesting and thought provoking read. If you are looking for "spin" or BS, you won't find it here. Mr. D'Souza has written a book that is packed with liberal vs. conservative arguments and laid out the conservative viewpoint with clear, thoughtful, and straight-forward writing. Although the book is short, it does its job by clearly discussing a variety of topics in which liberals and conservative tend to disagree on. You may not agree with some of his thoughts, but it is hard to argue with him on the same "playing field" without resorting to some kind of political- read childish- ploy to overcome or end the debate. Although some of the issues covered have more gray areas in them than just the black-white arguments he lays out, it does level the playing field due to the extreme ideas and thoughts many liberals have i.e. on welfare, affirmative action, etc. I agree with 95% of what is writing about, but I do know there is another side and would love for someone to write and educated and well thought out counter to this book. If there is one, please let me know. He also adds in a list of books that have influenced this book and his thoughts (something he did not do in "What So Great..."). Overall a great book that will give any conservative, young or old, the ammunition needed to counter liberal arguments, ploys and policies.

The mere fact that it has received some 1 star reviews and some 5 star reviews shows that it is a controversial book. Liberals will hate it and conservatives will find great no-nonsense descriptions of the philosophies we uphold so strongly. His writing style makes it a relatively easy read for anyone.