Customer Reviews

When You Ride Alone You Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Being an avid "Politically Incorrect" viewer for many, many years, I've seen and heard Bill Maher say some really incredible things, and some incredibly stupid things. Many misguided people will believe that, after the September 11th attacks, Bill was being stupid, unpatriotic, and unfeeling when hrefered to our military efforts "cowardly". It's something that Bill really wan't able to explain to people while his show was on the air. Well, consider this his retribution... he proves in this book that, not only is he EXTREMELY patriotic, but he also has an EXTREMELY great grasp on politics, and is still EXTREMELY funny.

Bill is tired of politcal correctness and other such practices that keep our country from being everything that it can be. He dwells on various topics ranging from oil consumption (in terms of automobiles and liht bulbs), truly coming together as a country and making REAL sacrifices, religion, the futile and meaningless drug war, airport security, freedom of speech, American arrogance to anything foreign, and national security.

All 132 pages are filled with intellectual and amusing observations and recommendations by Maher. His comic relief in the midst of some hardcore political discussion will definitely catch you off gaurd (I found myself laughing out loud many times), and when you have finished the book, you will sit back and think: "Damn, that was so funny... but damn, he is SO RIGHT." This is why many people love the likes of Bill Maher and Al Franken... they are funny, but they are also serious about everything they say.

The reason I did not give this book a perfect 5 stars is that it is a bit short (lots of illustrations, white space, and large lettering), but in some cases, it makes it even better. I finished it in 2 hours... you could buy it and keep it in the bathroom and still learn alot from this book!

9/11, Millions cared for three thousand. Next time, it might be the other way around. This is one of the captions below a picture depicting the possibility of a nuclear terrorist attack on American soil, and is one of over thirty pictures and topics covered in this book. Bill Maher's voice may be the equivalent of listening to fingernails scratching the surface of a chalkboard to some, but the common sense behind those words cannot be denied. "When You Ride Alone" is pretty much standard Bill Maher affair, with him writing things and making connections between what we are doing at home, and how we, as an American civilization, have not answered the bell in response to the attack on September 11, 2001.

Through an assortment of well thought out drawings that harken back to WWII propaganda Bill tackles numerous topics on how we, the people of this nation, should and could have responded, as well as some very astute observations pertaining to the role of the government.

Now, this book in not for PC's. Racial profiling is one of the many questionable programs that Bill gives the thumbs up to, though the reasoning behind his arguments cannot be denied as anything less than sound. This along with SUVs, the drug war, assisted suicide, political passivism, and living in a wasteful nation, are among the topics covered.

Whether you agree with him or not, the book raises serious issues and brings to light a unique perspective on what is going on in our nation. As stated, every American of age 18 should take the time to read this book and reflect on their own lives and contributions they might be making to those who flew planes into our buildings.

Bill Maher has a serious temper tantrum in this short and cartoonish diatribe. But it is fun, and he makes some good points. Heck, he has blurbs on the back of the book from Al Franken and Ann Coulter - talk about appealing to everybody.

The book is much like Bill's show, very opinionated but the ideas are never really fleshed out. A lot of points get made in a hurry here, but they are darned good points - and they get the reader thinking after he finishes laughing.

The reader reviews here aren't totally friendly, and I think it may be because Bill manages to annoy everybody at some point or other. Or maybe folks were looking for Calvin or Marxian depth. But taken as a whole the book is like a very good political comedy routine - you'll chuckle, you'll be insulted, and you'll learn something. That's Maher's schtick on stage, and that's his style here.

Listen, his show got on my nerves - I've never been a fan of his. But I enjoyed this book, and credit Maher for taking on the government and shallow patriots for their reaction to 9/11. And it's nice to see that Maher appreciates his country and what it represents while he faults its leaders and many of its people.

By the way, what this book lacks in depth it makes up in height. If your bookshelf is less than 16 inches tall you better wait for the paperback.

I both love and hate this book at the same time. I imagine Maher brings out this response from many people. I do agree with many of Maher's libertarian views, despite being "liberal." But still, he's got some ideas that he can't back up with facts.

One of my major beefs is that Maher seems to believe that we are at war with Islam -- all of Islam. Such views are not helpful. They only make matters worse by putting everyone in the same category. If we judged Christians as being all like Jerry Falwell no one who believed in Christ would look good either.

Maher's support of profiling Arabs also doesn't make sense. There are tons of scenerios in which an old lady, a child, or a love struck 20 something could accidentally bring a bomb on board a plane. It's not about knowledge or intent, it's about manipulation. I want the old ladies frisked, including my mother! Why? Because some people are too trusting and just might make a mistake.

There are other views expressed or, unfortunately, outright ignored. In one poster he highlights the stoning of Muslim women while at the same time ignoring the rape and brutualities towards women here in the US. In another essay he demands more funding for the Pentagon, the agency that gets more than 50 percent of the discretionary budget and was judged by the GAO as being the most mismanaged federal agency in the entire US government. Please! In another poster & essay he supports the reporting of suspicious activities to the government. On its face, that might make sense. But then remember how many idiots there are out there and how many people have an axe to grind with someone else.

The good posters and essays, on the other hand, hit dead center. The "why they hate" us posters are great as is Maher's support for better pay and respect for firefighters, soldiers and police officers. The pages focusing on our over consumption of oil are perhaps the best, most notably the one on the front cover.

Despite these criticisms, Maher brings a lot of ideas to the table. God knows we need more of that right now when so many people are so quick to throw the "un-American" label at those who dissent. Which brings me to one of the better posters & essays in the book: Speaking out IS an act of patriotism. I'll grant that to Maher, even if I disagree with half of what he says.

When You Ride Alone You Still Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism - And Still Isn't is a parody of a World War II propaganda poster that read "When you ride ALONE you ride with Hitler !", which suggested that automobile owners carpool to conserve gasoline for the war effort. This isn't just ironic today - it is a complete epiphany for those of us who understand History really repeats itself.

I must applaud HBO's host of Real Time with Bill Maher because he has the courage to speak his mind on topics most Americans staunchly are ignorant of. Like Maher points out - the United States is full of people who are wasteful when it comes to everything from oil, food, and the things we should be conserving and happy to have ready access to. FREEDOM!

Maher critiques of the war in Iraq are right on. He pulls no punches and he shouldn't. Bill Maher is intelligent, funny, and has written another fine book for anyone interested in discovering real truth in real time that may change the way they view our government's practices.

I am a father, a veteran, an author, and a concerned citizen. We need more people like Bill Maher, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Ron Paul in this world who know what they are talking about when they choose to be serious.

Understanding Apples

Gathering Leaves: Understanding Apples Book Two

Do you know about any of the sacrifices for freedom, made during World War II? Bill Maher uses examples of these sacrifices, plus updated versions of World War II posters, to give historical context to the war against terrorism. He is not afraid to challenge established viewpoints, and he has lots of evidence to back up his views. ...my thanks to Bill for making my Christmas shopping easier!!!

The latest book from television talk show host, writer, and generally funny, cynical guy Bill Maher was inspired by U.S. government World War II posters which showed how ordinary citizens could help the allied war effort. The title itself is a take on the poster, "When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Hitler", designed to encourage Americans to conserve oil needed for the war. This is essentially the premise of Maher's, "When You Ride Alone..."; to tell us how we as citizens can help the U.S. war on terrorism (though he also discusses a number of related and unrelated topics).

Maher typically spends 2-4 pages discussing a different issue in each of the 30 or so chapters. At his best, Maher's arguments are articulate and convincing. In particular, his argument that both political leaders and citizens complicitly perpetuate terrorism: The citizens' gluttonous consumption of gas and oil (and everything else for that matter) perpetuates terrorism by funding oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia who fund terrorist organizations. Politicians are also responsible for refusing to ask voters for any kind of conservation or sacrifice (for fear of losing votes). It's difficult to disagree with Maher's reasoning, and with his general assertion that most Americans have become lazy, ignorant, and spoiled children. Despite his censure, Maher is true patriot who criticizes because he cares.

"When You Ride Alone..." is more useful to those aren't familiar with Maher than to those of us who watched Politically Incorrect regularly. At least 3/4 of the topics covered Maher has already discussed ad nauseam on his cancelled TV show. There really isn't anything new here, and that's disappointing after Maher's extended media absence. While I agree with his perspective on many issues, Maher's over generalizations and occasionally funny approach makes it sometimes difficult to take him all that seriously (this was also a problem after his show moved to ABC).

In the end, "When You Ride Alone..." is an entertaining, but politically scrawny little book. This is unfortunate because Maher has the intelligence and wit to produce something much more substantial. [Those looking for a more thorough discussion of the issues would probably be best served to look elsewhere.] "When You Ride Alone..." is a fairly enjoyable, but mostly forgettable read.

I was irritated when Maher's show was canceled, but he has certainly turned the controversy into an opportunity. Here he characteristically uses his insights and wit to stir up our psyches about our views on war -- in an historical sense (alluding to previous wars fought by our country via spoofs of war propaganda), and a current one as well.

The visual references force one to think about causes and contexts of past wars in order to make sense of current policy and situations overseas. It is a highly entertaining and thought provoking project, one that may surprise you, as it did me, with the substance underneath its cleverness.

.......but he gives an honest, straightforward, and thoughtful expression of his opinions. I was even surprised to find that I agreed with most of it. FAIR WARNING: there's a reason his show was called "Politically Incorrect." He doesn't mince words. His chapter on religion is pretty extreme (that was the one chapter I was uncomfortable with). He actually does address (in one paragraph) the issue of his comment that lost him the show. It starts to feel like all he has to say about this country is negative, but keep going, because at the end he says what he thinks is RIGHT about this country. He's arrogant, outspoken, doesn't worry about hurting feelings, and may go to far at times. He'd make a lousy politician because he'd alienate people and many people don't want to hear brutal, honest truth. But if these kinds of statements stimulate discussions, then that's good--that's what our right of free speech is supposed to do. You don't have to agree with everything a commentator says to find the person worth listening to & the commentary worth thinking about. Sift it; save the wheat & throw away the chaff. I borrowed this book from the library to check it out first; now I'm going to buy it & put it right next to my Andy Rooney books, as salient commentary that I might want to refer back to some day.

It says something about this book that Michael Moore and Ariana Huffington both have blurbs on the back cover.

Maher's strength is that he hews to no particular party line. On one page he agrees with conservative right-wingers and a page later he's letting loose with a rant from the liberal playbook. The great thing about him is that he has an opinion, and he states it, and he doesn't worry about what box it all should be filed in. As such, he's a great antidote to the intellectual laziness of most of our pundits.

Given, that, you can expect that at least once in this book, you'll shake your head and think, "No, that's just not right" and on some other page you'll think, "Dang-- that's exactly it." Maher cuts through a lot of the fuzz, smoke and mirrors of the post-9/11 political landscape , and even if you have to think a bit to figure out why you disagree with him, that's certainly more than any political figure has done in the last year.

Maher is not polite or nice, but every society needs someone who's willing to tell the fat girl that she shouldn't wear spandex. A good timely book well worth reading.