Customer Reviews

The Optimism Gap: The I'm Ok--They're Not Syndrome and the Myth of American Decline

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

 

 

This writer who I haved followed for many years from his earlier book on Welfare Reform to more recant writings over the last decade at US News and World reports once again shows unique insights that only he is able to offer up--way to go

Very good book --helped with my history class--I got a A

The author may feel his point overwhelming demonstrated by his mountain of research, but he should consider the fact that few people can and even fewer choose to climb Mt. Everest. Simply because a statistic is favorable does not mean it must be included to justify every point. This book is so saturated with statistics that the effect on the overall thesis is catastrophic. Furthermore, not only is the volume a problem, but, though I have no statistics to prove it, Americans and readers in general are leery of statistics. They are justifiably leery because it seems that in this modern era, polling is a near-exact science and questions can easily be asked in a way that virtually guarantees a certain response. My, admittedly unprofessional, advice: Drop all but an extreme minority of the statistics and focus on developing the skills necessary to craft an effective and persuasive article!