Somebody's Gotta Say It [Paperback]

Neal Boortz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 2008

I've come to the conclusion that roughly 50 percent of the adults in this country are simply too ignorant and functionally incompetent to be living in a free society.

You might think I'm off base, but every day around half the people in this country go out of their way to prove me right.—from Somebody's Gotta Say It

Think you've got it all figured out? Think again.

Neal Boortz—the Talkmaster, the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth—has been edifying, infuriating, and entertaining talk radio audiences for more than three decades with his blend of straight talk and twisted humor. Now, the author of the smash number one bestseller The FairTax Book returns to gore every sacred cow in the pasture, from the subversive agendas behind children's books to the scam artists behind "High Art."

In Somebody's Gotta Say It, Boortz warms up for the coming political season with a preemptive strike in "the War on the Individual": "The Democrats' theme for 2008 will be 'The Common Good.' I can't speak for you, but I am an individual. Government exists to protect my rights, not to order my life. And I damn sure don't exist to serve government." He takes on liberal catchphrases like giving back ("Nobody—especially not the evil, wretched rich—actually earns anything anymore. Why do liberals think this way? Because they find it impossible to acknowledge that people work for money"), our rampant civic idiocy ("We are not a democracy. Never were. Weren't supposed to be. And we shouldn't be"), and Big Brother ("We have smoke-free workplaces. We have drug-free school zones. I say let's start establishing government-free oases, where we can be free to leave our seat belts unbuckled, and peel the labels off anything we choose"). And somehow, along the way, he finds room for pop quizzes, cat-chasing contests, and an answer, once and for all, to the eternal question, "Neal, why don't you run for president?"—in a chapter called "No Way in Hell."

Full of irresistible wisecracks and irrefutable libertarian wisdom, Somebody's Gotta Say It is one man's response to America at a time when the government overreaches, the people underperform—and the truth hurts.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The host of radio's The Neal Boortz Show, syndicated in nearly two hundred national markets, Neal Boortz is the author (with Congressman John Linder) of the New York Times bestsellers The FairTax Book and FairTax: The Truth, and author of The Terrible Truth About Liberals. He has been nominated twice for the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Award and divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia, and Naples, Florida.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (June 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061373737
• ISBN-13: 978-0061373732
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #888,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The host of radio's The Neal Boortz Show, syndicated in nearly two hundred national markets, Neal Boortz is the author (with Congressman John Linder) of the New York Times bestsellers The FairTax Book and FairTax: The Truth, and author of The Terrible Truth About Liberals. He has been nominated twice for the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Award and divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia, and Naples, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Somebody finally said it..., February 21, 2007

By 

L. Davis (Flowery Branch, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Somebody's Gotta Say It (Hardcover)

I have anticipated the release of this book for quite some time and on the day it was released I bought it, went home, and read the entire thing in one sitting. It's an easy (and entertaining) read and while it addresses many important issues that this country is experiencing today there is one that sears into my mind like no other, that of course being the teacher unions.

When I read that chapter in the book I could feel the temperature around me rising, and by rising temperature I'm referring to the boiling heads of the hard left with their constant support of the teacher unions. The fact is that the teacher unions are beyond dangerous and I don't know if the country can be saved. Not a person on the face of the earth could have addressed this issue better than Neal Boortz. He should be given a medal for his relentless attacks against this powerful organization that will undoubtedly destroy the future of this great nation. I have no doubt that the teacher union part of this book will cause an uproar all over the United States. Neal Boortz will be fending off the teacher unions for the rest of his life for what he has said in this book. If for some reason you don't want to buy this book because you hate people like Neal, buy it for this portion!!

With Neal being a Libertarian he has very strong feelings regarding the freedom of individuals and the value of the choices that we make throughout our life. Another fantastic chapter is why all drugs should be legal and the "War on Drugs" is a complete failure. All of the money (it would actually take much less) used for it should be put into treatment programs instead of putting non-violent criminals behind bars. Before reading it I've always kind of disagreed with the legalization of harder drugs (while agreeing about soft drugs like Marijuana being legalized), but after reading this I have changed my position. The minimum wage is addressed in a good bit of detail as to why there shouldn't be one in the first place because it's not the roll of government to set wages. There are many other fantastic parts in Somebody's Gotta Say It, too many to really mention, but I can say that Boortz doesn't hold ANYTHING back in this book!!! You'll be somewhat shocked while laughing at the same time with his disregard for the "sensitive" people's feelings. I've read so many books I can't begin to count. From Atlas Shrugged to cookbooks and this is one of the best books I've ever read.

I'm sure that many "one star" reviews will flood this item from individuals that haven't even read this book, just out of their shear hatred for Mr. Boortz. All I can really say is that you should ignore them and read it anyway. I can't say it enough, thank you Neal for having the strength and courage to write this! After over 30 years of talk radio this book is Neal's masterpiece. Everything that he has believed in and spoke of for all these years has been built up to create this book. You are a brilliant man and you were so right, SOMEBODY HAD TO SAY IT!!!

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Controversial...with topics worth reading, February 25, 2007

By 

DRoberts (Al) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Somebody's Gotta Say It (Hardcover)

Neal Boortz has written a book he hopes many people will read with an open mind. I do not believe many people other than his listeners, Republicans, and Libertarians will pick this book up. Boortz details his feelings on several issues such as abortion, minimum wage, creation vs. evolution, and government involvement in citizen's lives.

Boortz hates the "government school system". He believes they are a bigger danger to the U.S than Al Qaeda. His reasoning behind hating government schools is merited, but to say it is more dangerous than Al Qaeda is quite a stretch. Boortz admits at the end of his book he does not know much about terrorism or Muslims. He does offer a list of books to help the reader to better understand the "Religion of Peace".

Some of his ideas do seem to be out in some far off reality. There is no way there will be a school voucher system in coming years. Democrats and teacher unions will never allow it to happen. I do agree with Boortz competition makes everything better. Many people who believe capitalism is a great sin would kindly disagree with my last statement. Boortz also goes into the "right" to vote issue. There are many issues covered in his book appealing to the above mentioned groups. I believe he is right when saying his greatest critics are the religious fanatics. There is no doubt in my mind he gets lambasted when he says homosexuals should be allowed to be in a civil union, or abortion really is a choice for the woman not government to make.

I did realize when reading his book many of the issues like abortion, prayer in schools, homosexuality, creation vs. evolution, and flag burning come down to people making their own choices. Boortz does not like government getting involved in any issue he believes an individual can make own his own. The last section of his book is devoted to really wishful thinking. He deals with issues he would fix if he were president.

I enjoyed the book and believe there are some issues he takes on that make the book worth reading. I did not go into much detail with them so you the reader could enjoy them yourself. I think the part that hurts the book is a limited audience will read his message. I do not see the book crossing over party lines.

Dustin Roberts

60 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Fun Book, Especially if Your views lean Libertarian, February 26, 2007

By 

Thriller Lover (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Somebody's Gotta Say It (Hardcover)

I've never heard of Neal Boortz and have not listened to his radio program. Still, I enjoyed this book, which was entertaining and well written. This book is written in a conversational style, where Boortz explains his views on a variety of hot political topics, such as the war on terror and the public educational system.

What I liked most about this book is that Boortz does not neatly fall into either major political party. He is definitely a conservative, but in the libertarian sense. As a result, his views on evolution, abortion, gay rights, and even flag burning are not consistent with those of most Republicans. But I think they are consistent with someone who cares deeply about individual liberty and personal freedom.

This is not to say that Boortz doesn't choose sides here. He's much more supportive of the Republicans than the Democrats. Still, unlike many political commentators, he is unafraid to criticise both parties on important issues. In the end, Boortz's governing philosophy is his belief in the power of the individual, and his dislike of welfare dependence. This is a perspective that doesn't get as much media exposure as it deserves in the mainstream media.

If your politics are libertarian-leaning, you will probably enjoy SOMEBODY'S GOTTA SAY IT. But even if they're not, this is a good down-to-earth introduction to the libertarian mindset. I enjoyed it. My only regret was that this book wasn't released during the holiday season; it would have made a nice gift.