Sorry, Everybody: An Apology to the World for the Re-Election of George W. Bush [Paperback]

James Zetlen (Author), Ted Rall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2005

Twenty year old USC student James Zetlen launched sorryeverybody.com on November 4, as an outlet for Americans to express their disappointment about the political situation in our country and how it will affect people around the world for the next four years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hylas Publishing (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592581633
• ISBN-13: 978-1592581634
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,815,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America at its best, April 30, 2005

By 

Gen Res (America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sorry, Everybody: An Apology to the World for the Re-Election of George W. Bush (Paperback)

After the results of the 2004 Presidential election were made clear, a student from USC started a website www.sorryeverybody.com. The book is a collection of pictures from that website.

Ted Rall (author and political cartoonist) wrote a forward for this book. People from all over the U.S. wrote how they felt and took pictures of themselves holding signs. Some signs were very creative. I would say these are not only some of America's best people, these are also some of the best Democrats. The people in this book are in the long haul and will always work for better education, healthcare and human rights issues.

If you are non-American, I recommend taking a look at this book so you can see a much better alternative to the sorry "elected" officials who represent this country.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two words, thousands of voices, thousands of faces, December 22, 2005

By 

Richard Stoehr "Idle Rich" (Bremerton, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sorry, Everybody: An Apology to the World for the Re-Election of George W. Bush (Paperback)

This book, what it is and what it represents, is a part of what makes America great. It's the voice and image of the people (well, around half of them), made into something tangible that you can see, read, and experience for yourself. It is the concept of freedom of speech made into reality. Whether one agrees with the message or not, one has to admire the power of the idea itself, and how it caught the imagination of so many.

This is not a book by one person, but thousands. It is not a single voice, but many voices, speaking from the heart in simple terms words of apology for a wrong they felt was done. From anger to sadness to hope, the feelings expressed in these images and on these handwritten signs are honest and true and heartfelt. The word "grassroots" is thrown around a great deal these days, usually inaccurately, but that word describes the idea behind this book perfectly...something that started as a simple idea and inspired many others to follow suit. It was not planned. It just...happened. This is the essence of a true grassroots effort.

The pictures willl show you that the people represented here are not stereotypical in the least. They're not all hippies, peaceniks, or college students. They're not even all Democrats! There are people here from red states and blue states, from Boston and Seattle but also from Texas and Georgia and yes, even from Ohio and Florida. There are people young and old, blue collar workers, teachers, high school students, farmers, mothers, and members of the United States military. There are no celebrities here, no political pundits, no "loony lefties." Just everyday people, most of whom you've probably never met and never will, but they all have something to say.

Each page has something funny to offer, or something touching... often both. It is a reminder of how we took that difficult time after the election in 2004 and turned it into a unifying moment, showing the world that we were better than how it seemed on November 2nd, speaking the same words in the voice of thousands, reaching across the country and around the world to spread the simplest of messages: "We're so sorry."

Like it or not, this book is not the voice of the loudest few. It is the voice and the image of the many, who are usually silent but on this occasion had to speak, to make their voices heard so that their silence was not interpreted as acquiescence or agreement. These are the voices we don't normally hear from, speaking honest words from the heart.

This is the face and the voice of America. Whether we agree or disagree with what they're saying, maybe we should all at least take the time to listen to them, and to see them for what they are. Americans.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching and humorous, September 9, 2005

By 

Red Azalea (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sorry, Everybody: An Apology to the World for the Re-Election of George W. Bush (Paperback)

All political debate aside (since this isn't the forum for it), this book is a collection of photos sent in just after last year's presidential election by (mostly) Americans who were disappointed and upset over the results (though there are a few photos of people from other countries, commiserating).
The website was a great outlet for people to express their feelings, and they did so with wonderful photos of themselves with signs that were sometimes very touching and often quite funny (like the woman who offered to bake everyone cookies). Each photo expresses a lot with few words, and you get a sense of their genuine love of their country, their hurt over the election and irrepressible sense of humour.
I don't think this book was intended as anything other than a snapshot (pun intended) of a portion of the country in a vulnerable moment in history, but it's very well done, and will renew your faith that there are many people out there who, after sending in their photo, probably took a deep breath, dusted themselves off, and are now working very hard towards the next election.