One Nation Under Guns: An Essay on an American Epidemic (Speaker's Corner) [Paperback]

Arnold Grossman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 2006 | Series: Speaker's Corner

This eye-opening essay examines the scope of gun violence in this country: its causes, its dangers, and its possible solutions. Part of the Speaker's Corner Books series designed to stimulate discussion on issues that shape our society, One Nation Under Guns takes a rational and reasoned approach to an emotionally charged issue.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arnold Grossman logged a good deal of time as an observer of the Los Angeles scene where he worked as a film and television producer, and as a writer for both episodic and reality television.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (August 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555915574
• ISBN-13: 978-1555915575
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,562,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In his latest novel, LOVE IN THE TIME OF LIARS AND LOONS, Arnold Grossman draws from his thirty years as a political media consultant to satirize the process by which this country chooses its political leadership. He says, "The presidency of George W. Bush provided ample fodder for exploring, with absurdist fiction, the role played in politics by both liars and loons, and those who are a little of both."

This is Grossman's fourth novel. The first two, 1988 and A CALIFORNIA CONSPIRACY, published by St. Martin's Press, were co-authored with former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm. They are both fictional accounts of international conspriracies to influence presidential politics and infiltrate the White House.

His third novel, GOING TOGETHER, is a quirky romantic comedy set in Los Angeles, in which two hapless souls find love they weren't searching for, and engage in a most unconventional courtship. "It's the kind of story that can only happen in Los Angeles," according to Grossman, who spent several years living there and working in the film industry. GOING TOGETHER was called, "One of the funniest books in recent memory," by the Washington Times, and "One of the most unusual love stories ever written," in Armchair Reviews.
It is currently in development for a film adaptation.

Grossman also wrote a non-fiction book, ONE NATION UNDER GUNS, in which he explores the devastating toll the proliferation of firearms has taken on society, accounting for nearly 30,000 American deaths a year.

He has published short fiction and humorous essays, has written for episodic television and produced a network movie, CRIES UNHEARD.

Grossman's favorite pastime, when not writing, is being with his five grandchildren. He can be visited on his website, www.arnoldgrossman.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Editorializing, October 3, 2006

By 

Charles L. Young "Outdoor Dad" (San Angelo, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Nation Under Guns: An Essay on an American Epidemic (Speaker's Corner) (Paperback)

Not so much a researched and analyzed work as an opinion article in the form of a book. Mr. Grossman sets out with a premise in mind and then picks and chooses his "data" specifically to support his pre-drawn conclusion. Objectivity played no role in this work whatsoever. Reading this is a waste of time unless you would like to read a case study in how to marginalize any opinion other that your own. If that is your wish, this is an excellent book.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Balderdash, December 25, 2006

By 

Blaine S. Nay (Cedar City, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Nation Under Guns: An Essay on an American Epidemic (Speaker's Corner) (Paperback)

Like Sarah Brady and her ilk, this book is full of factual errors, absurdities, fabrications, and outright lies. For example, the author claims that anyone can buy a .50-caliber machine gun on the spot at gun shows. That ludicrous assertion displays an irresponsible ignorance of the law and what really goes on at gun shows. Even the photo on the cover is a gross deception -- it is unlawful for a juvenile to own or handle a handgun, or handgun ammunition, without a parent's written permission. The only value of this book is its role as a window into the minds of anti-gun radicals. Anyone who, like Diogenes, seeks honesty should look elsewhere. If the author is as wreckless with a gun as he is with facts and his exercise of his freedom of speech and of the press, stay well out of shooting range!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What's the opposite of "factual" ?, April 2, 2007

By 

Live to read "." (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Nation Under Guns: An Essay on an American Epidemic (Speaker's Corner) (Paperback)

I have followed the various gun-related debates and concerns in our country for over 32 year now. I have lived in both restrictive and open states. I consider myself pretty well informed on most of the topics covered by this author, but I'm always checking for more information.

Unfortunately, this book proved to be just another tired rehash of the anti-gun misinformation I've seen on the Brady Campaign web site. "We need more laws controlling guns." Why, when criminals - by definition - don't obey the law? For that matter why bother, when the convicted violent criminals are released back into the public despite their records? "Statistics show" ...anything you want them to show, when taken out of context, as most of these are. "Assault weapons..." are defined by the military as capable of fully automatic fire (think "machine gun") and as such have been banned from general purchase since the 1934. Even the factually challenged definition of "assault weapons" banned in the nineties described firearms that were used in .026 of One Percent(!) of firearms related crimes, according to the FBI.

Bottom line: There are an enormous number of factual errors in this document. There are many quotes from the Brady Campaign, including quotations attributed to individual members of that campaign. It's quite apparent that the author spent many hours with the anti-gun organizations. On the other hand, I saw no quotations or evidence that his research was more widely spread.

My recommendation: If you're reading this review, you're on the Internet. Do your own research from the data available out "here" if you want real facts about this topic, not to mention saving money since you don't have to buy a book. If you are merely looking for a good summation of the anti-gun lobby's platform, this book is a good resource. But PLEASE check his "facts" before agreeing to the premise. You'll find many if not most of them are incorrect.