Right Turns and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more

Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
$3.93 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Kindle Edition
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Right Turns: Unconventional Lessons from a Controversial Life
 
 
Start reading Right Turns on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Right Turns: Unconventional Lessons from a Controversial Life [Hardcover]

Michael Medved (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --  
Hardcover --  
Paperback $10.94  
Audio, CD, Abridged, Audiobook --  
Audible Audio Edition, Unabridged $26.95 or Free with Audible 30-day free trial

Book Description

December 28, 2004
Nationally syndicated talk-radio host and noted film critic Michael Medved has taken an extraordinary journey from liberal activist to outspoken conservative. Along the way he has earned millions of admirers—and more than his share of enemies—by advancing controversial, often counterintuitive arguments, including:

• Liberals love losing because it makes them feel virtuous
• America isn’t normal—it’s bizarrely blessed
• Hollywood has lost touch with America—and punishes people who point that out
• Conservatives are both happier and nicer than liberals
• Talk radio is a source of hope, not hatred
• Business isn’t exploitative—it’s heroic
• There is no such thing as “planned parenthood”
• A more Christian America is good for the Jews
• Do-it-yourself conservatism provides the only cure for save-the-world liberalism

In the candid, electrifying Right Turns, Medved chronicles the adventures that taught him these and many other lessons—the startling events that propelled him from Vietnam protest leader to optimistic promoter of American patriotism, from secularism to religion, from adventurous single guy to doting husband and father. In the process he skewers leftist orthodoxy, revealing why the Right is right and why his former colleagues on the Left remain hopelessly wrong on every cultural, political, and social issue.

Medved enters today’s ideological fray armed with experience as, among many other things, a campaign aide for radical Democrats, a minority recruiter for police departments, a Hollywood screenwriter, a Bobby Kennedy volunteer, a teacher at religious schools, a world-champion hitchhiker, an expert on bad movies, and a veteran TV host on PBS and a British network—who declines to own a TV himself.

Medved relishes the contradictions behind the high-profile controversies in which he’s played a leading role—as a prominent movie reviewer who attacked the film industry in a bestselling book, as an observant Jew whose radio show is a favorite with evangelical Christians, as a writer once designated the “Bard of the Baby Boomers” who now expresses contempt for his generation’s arrogant indulgence, and as a fearless battler who has sought advice from both Rush Limbaugh and Hillary Clinton and has given advice to both Mel Gibson and Barbra Streisand.

Right Turns displays the slashing argument and disarming wit that have made Medved’s radio program America’s number one show on politics and pop culture.


Editorial Reviews

Review

Right Turns tells the hugely entertaining, ultimately inspiring story of one leftist from the ’60s who finally discovered—and liberated—his inner conservative. In the process, Michael Medved demonstrates why our side of the political divide has both better answers and more fun. His book is insightful, funny, powerful, and important.” —Rush Limbaugh

“Michael Medved provides an important and distinctive perspective on popular culture—fierce, fearless, funny, and formidable.” —Mel Gibson

“How does one go from liberal activist to conservative cultural critic? This accounting of Michael Medved’s journey is eloquent, informative, challenging, moving, and downright fascinating. I learned a lot . . . you will too!” —Dr. Laura Schlessinger

“Michael Medved is a gifted communicator and an incisive cultural critic. His political and religious autobiography, Right Turns, is more than the communication of an idea or the analysis of our culture, however. It is an educational, entertaining, and deeply enlightening journey to intellectual maturity and reason.” —William J. Bennett

“Michael Medved is the liberals’ worst nightmare—he knows their arguments, outlook, and eccentricities, having lived as one of them in his reckless youth. Unlike most Americans, Michael sat at their dinner tables and heard them speak honestly—since they didn’t realize he’d rat them out someday. Having the goods on liberals allows him to destroy their arguments. Michael’s own right turns have helped many Americans discover Right thinking, and this powerful, gripping book should win many more converts.” —Ann Coulter

About the Author

Michael Medved’s daily three-hour radio program, The Michael Medved Show, reaches more than two million listeners coast to coast. He is the author of nine other books, including the bestsellers Hollywood vs. America and What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?, and is a member of USA Today’s board of contributors. For more than a decade he cohosted Sneak Previews, PBS’s weekly movie review show. An honors graduate of Yale, Medved lives with his family in the Seattle area.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Crown Forum; First Edition edition (December 28, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1400051878
  • ISBN-13: 978-1400051878
  • Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Medved is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, best-selling author and veteran film critic. His daily three-hour program, emphasizing the intersection of politics and pop culture, reaches close to 5 million listeners in over 200 markets, coast to coast. For twelve consecutive years, he's been listed by Talkers Magazine as one of their "Heavy Hundred" most important American talk show hosts, and for seven of those years his show has also been listed as one of the ratings top ten.

Born in Philadelphia, raised in San Diego, Mr. Medved graduated with honors from Yale and then attended Yale Law School-where his classmates included Bill and Hillary Clinton. After working as a screenwriter in Hollywood, he reviewed movies for CNN, and later as chief film critic for the New York Post. He also served for twelve years as co-host of "Sneak Previews," the nationally televised weekly movie review show on PBS-TV.

Mr. Medved is the author of twelve non-fiction books, including the national bestseller What Really Happened to the Class of '65 (the basis for a popular TV series on NBC), as well as the definitive history of the White House chiefs of staff, The Shadow Presidents. His most influential-and controversial-work was a best-selling indictment of the entertainment industry, Hollywood Vs. America. England's prestigious Guardian newspaper wrote: "Just Occasionally, a book changes the way the world thinks. Michael Medved's Hollywood Vs. America is such a book." Mr. Medved then collaborated with his wife, Dr. Diane Medved, a clinical psychologist and author in her own right, on Saving Childhood: Protecting Our Children from the National Assault on Innocence. In October 1998, the Wall Street Journal wrote: "If Saving Childhood isn't an important book, I don't know what one would look like." His book, "Right Turns" (Crown Forum/Random House, January, 2005) drew rave reviews for its "lively and intimate" description of his transition from "punk liberal activist" to "lovable conservative curmudgeon."

Most recently, (2008-2009), Michael's book "The 10 Big Lies About America," spent twelve weeks on the New York Times extended bestseller list, and became a Main Selection of the Conservative Book Club. The follow-up volume --- "The 5 Big Lies About American Business," is scheduled for publication by Random House/Crown Forum on December 1, 2009. It is already a Main Selection of the Conservative Book Club.

Mr. Medved has been a frequent guest on all the major TV talk shows, including Larry King Live, Nightline, Oprah, David Letterman, Good Morning America, CNN's Reliable Sources and countless others. His columns on media and society appear regularly in USA Today, where he serves as a member of the Board of Contributors. The Medveds live in the Seattle area where they've raised their three children. Their oldest daughter is currently in graduate school, their middle daughter is a senior at University, and their youngest, Danny, is a senior in High School.

 

Customer Reviews

52 Reviews
5 star:
 (32)
4 star:
 (11)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (5)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (52 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 170 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Part biography, part homily, all Medved, January 24, 2005
This review is from: Right Turns: Unconventional Lessons from a Controversial Life (Hardcover)
I have four main reasons for liking this book.

(1) I like Michael Medved. He's a personable, decent, and intelligent guy; his biography is interesting because he himself is.

(2) Having never been a leftie myself, I enjoy reading accounts by ex-lefties about how they came around to good sense. (And accounts by formerly secular-leftist Jews about how they returned to traditional observance. Medved is good buddies with Rabbi Daniel Lapin, author of _America's Real War_.)

(3) I _dis_agree with Medved often enough (he didn't like the first _Batman_ film!) that his book illustrates an important point: despite what you may have heard, the political right is as intellectually diverse as the left.

(4) Medved seems to have been present, albeit in the background, at nearly every important sociopolitical event of the last four decades. It's like _Forrest Gump_ for conservatives. Heck, he was at Yale with Bush, Kerry, Clinton, and Rodham; his personal accounts of those folks alone are worth reading whether you care about Medved himself or not.

The book itself is arranged into thirty-five 'lessons', each of which is part biography, part homily. For example, Medved launches his tale with an account of his grandparents' immigration to the U.S., but rather than just presenting biographical details, he ties it in with a short account of why he thinks the existence of the United States is divinely providential. This pattern continues throughout the book, with some chapters heavier on the biography and others almost all homiletic.

There's lots of interesting stuff packed into the cracks. You'll find out, e.g., just exactly _which_ film mentioned in _The Golden Turkey Awards_ was actually a hoax.

Medved is, of course, a well-known film critic who thinks (with good reason) that 'Hollyweird' has lost touch with American values and produces films primary to satisfy left-leaning anti-American/anti-religious critics rather than to make money. If you want to know more about his opinions, look up his online columns and read his _Hollywood vs. America_, which I reviewed some years ago.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Right Turns , The Life of Michael Medved, October 26, 2005
By 
M. Sheldon (Kingston , WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Right Turns: Unconventional Lessons from a Controversial Life (Hardcover)
The humor , insight to famous people, Hillary he knew in college, and his weird behaviors, will stop the family car to pick up trash on the road side , makes this book just roll along . Michael Medved is one of those walking talking Encylopedia's, he knows his facts. He presents them in a very interesing and logical manner . Great insights into the movie industry , politics and tactics from the left and right , and a beautiful portrayal of how religion can change a person's heart for the better and change how they view the world . Great book , easy rading , I loved it .
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Love the Guy, Don't Always Love the Message, November 27, 2005
This review is from: Right Turns: Unconventional Lessons from a Controversial Life (Hardcover)
Michael Medved is a religious (orthodox) Jew. His message is often too religious and right-wing political for my taste. Yet the man has integrity, candor, character and incredible moral values. We could all do much worse than to listen to that kind of man. If only America would put more integrity, candor, charachter and moral values into our government, classrooms and politics- we'd all be better off for it. Solid book, easy reading, great man as author.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews




Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject