Customer Reviews

Voice of Reason: Why the Left and Right Are Wrong

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

It was so refreshing to read a book that did not try to convince me that only the left or only the right is correct. It is possible to take a little from both worlds and have a doctrine that is not only acceptable, but realistic. Thank you, Ronn, for presenting a little of both and letting us, as thinking adults, make our own decision. I admire a person that is not afraid to speak out for what they believe -- and that is what Ronn Owen is all about! I will be sharing this book (and what great gifts!!!) with my friends and co-workers who seem to be hesitant to realize that both sides have something to offer. Thank you for taking the time and having the courage to speak out for what you believe.

This is a good book and worth every penny. It is quite rare in today's polarized politics that you can find a book by an independent thinker--quite a breath of fresh air. The book has a diary feel to it, though Owens does tend to ramble at times and jump around.

Do not pay attention to the reviews that give it one star--they are idealogues who didn't even read the book--note their ad hominem attacks and they don't even discuss, rather give one sentance fragments from radio shows.

I take off one star because of how much Owens concentrates on California politics. However, if you followed the recall, you probably won't have a problem reading the book.

In summary, if you want to think critically and rationally about politics this is the book for you. If you are an idealogue who is not open to other points of view STAY AWAY--this book is not for you, stick with your Coulter/Franken/Moore etc.

I can't really add too much to some of the criticism here, but I can throw in an anecdote that will perhaps illustrate the hypocrisy that is Ronn Owens. This book purports to be the voice of the center, but that self-styled description comes from a man who plainly states that he can't support Wesley Clark as a democratic presidential candidate simply because he is endorsed by Michael Moore. Where is the reason in that? Ronn isn't interested in what Clark actually stands for or what's on his platform. Blind hatred of the far left Moore removes his ability to reason, which is the supposed cornerstone of this book. Ronn has supportive blurbs on the back of his book (and the foreward) written by some heavy hitters in politics - some of whom I dislike intensely. But I wouldn't judge Ronn based on their endorsement of his book. That's what reason's all about.

I think you'll find deep consideration of issues gives way to superficiality and clouded judgement in this book. There is a certain amount of entertaiment value, but don't expect the level of discourse that you might find in more serious political writing.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and highly recommend it to everyone!

I have been listening to Ronn for many years, and he truly is a centrist. I think some of the bad reviews were from people who are too far to one side or the other and have forgotten where the center is. However, Ronn is truly there. He weighs both sides of an issue and looks at it from more than one side and explains it well in this book! Even when I don't agree with Ronn, he explains the other side well. He isn't so stuck on one side, that he can't see or admit when the other side is right, which happens much of the time these days, and which I seem to think is where the bad reviewers have a hard time with it. They resort to name calling and labeling if someone does not agree with them. Something that Ronn doesn't ever do.

Very much a voice of reason, Thanks Mr. Owens for an excellent book!!!

There's a reason that Barbara Walters commanded a record-setting multi-million-dollar advance for her forthcoming book: If someone who's had the experience of interviewing some of the foremost public figures of our time doesn't have a unique perspective, who would?

The same is true of San Francisco's #1 radio talk show host Ronn Owens, who has spoken with some of America's leading politicians and personalities on both ends of the political spectrum about some of the most pressing issues of our day -- and who separates the wheat from the chaff in his new book VOICE OF REASON. Especially during an election year, VOICE OF REASON is a must-read for anyone looking for a straight-talking approach to exploring the issues. Rather than spoon-feeding a pre-digested point of view, VOICE OF REASON prompts readers to think for themselves -- a welcome and refreshing change of pace, not to mention an approach that has the power to lead opposing forces to discover and establish common ground.

This book is a take-no-prisoners look at the current issues of society, pushing buttons all the way. This is a book for all the people that don't vote straight Democratic or Republican tickets.
Owens shows why both sides are at fault amidst today's problems and he gives us hope that our political world might not be forever divided between the right and left side, since both have good and bad points.
A must-read for everyone!

Ronn Owens seems to have morphed from the slightly left of center Democrat who failed to find an audience in the L.A. radio market into a slightly right of center Republican who could only be "controversial" in San Francisco. Owens' claims an objectivity that isn't evident in his "liberal baiting." While I think that most of us in the real center would agree with his social views and his fiscal conservativism, he has seemingly been too well off for too long to have any real understanding of what "working people" want or need. Like Thomas Friedman of the Times Owens' in the wake of 9-11 has donned "patriatism" as a mantle, but unlike Friedman, Owens' is very provencial and fails to question what feedoms may be lost in the name of security. Moreover, Friedman is a much better writer. Whether he knows it or not at present, Owens will hem and haw and vote to reelect Mr Bush. This is a fine book if you are an Owens fan living in N California. If you aren't it may not speak to you, or to the real issue of defining the fluid political center

If you like talk radio presented in Jerry Springer-like histrionics then Ronn Owens -- and his book -- is not for you. But if you like common sense and reasoned arguments, without all the mudslinging you get from the right and the left, then you'll enjoy Voice Of Reason as much as I did. The style in which Ronn Owens writes makes for easy reading. He hits the mark right on with most of his observations, and even the ones I disagreed with made me think. Which means the author did his job.

Excellent book.

So, the "Voice of Reason" is clearly stating the obvious -- America and Americans should formulate their own centric ideas. So what? What's postulated here is nothing new and really provides nothing enlightening or inspirational. I was an occassional listener to his AM show when I lived in the Bay Area, and its all the same in paper mode -- you can only take small amounts of it, realise its mostly egotistical (while proclaiming not to be) and offer nothing but more confusion for befuddled Americans - particularly at a time when the country is so divided.

Is this really the best that a publisher can put out there during these times?

This book seems to reflect Ronn Owens' fear of being disliked. He offers little insight in justifying his so-called "reasoned" positions on issues that require making difficult choices, something he seems incapable of doing. Instead, he tries to avoid controversy at all costs by rationalizing his own bland and often populist opinions.

Save your money.