Why I Turned Right: Leading Baby Boom Conservatives Chronicle Their Political Journeys [Paperback]

Mary Eberstadt (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Political vicissitudes aside, with or without a conservative administration, whether or not America is engaged in war, or regardless of who next holds the majority either in Congress or the Court, the United States as a whole (as the infamous red and blue map made unforgettably clear) has boldly, unabashedly moved Right. But the question remains: Why? How did a movement that appeared so sidelined and embattled only a generation ago emerge as such a strong, influential, and enduring united front?

In Why I Turned Right, eminent and rising conservatives -- at odds themselves on a number of issues from religion, family, sex, to stem cell research, abortion, and war -- answer the question. And they answer it not through polemic, reactionary preaching, or rage, but in the most practical and sensible way possible: via the sharp, critical, and unfiltered voices and canny observations of uniquely positioned authors, editors, humorists, and political refugees inadvertently born of the sexual revolution and the PC movement, who ultimately landed on the conservative side of America's red-blue divide -- in some cases, much to their own surprise.

A fascinating intellectual journey, this "family of opinions," as contributor Peter Berkowitz terms it, represents the extraordinarily varied paths that have led these authors from the championed liberalism of their youth to eventually fuel the world of conservative think tanks, magazines, blogs, and book publishing.

Whether you are for the Right or against, guarded supporter or puzzled progressive, Why I Turned Right proves an entertaining, enlightening, and edifying read for anyone with an open mind -- both the red and the blue, and everyone in between.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thoroughly engaging, witty, and instructive series of essays by the best and rightest of our generation."

-- Christopher Buckley

About the Author

Editor Mary Eberstadt is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Contributing Editor to Policy Review, and author of Home-Alone America: The Hidden Toll of Day Care, Behavioral Drugs, and Other Parent Substitutes. She is former managing editor of the Public Interest and former executive editor of the National Interest.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Threshold Editions; Reprint edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416528563
• ISBN-13: 978-1416528562
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,849,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really engaging, February 20, 2007

By 

Jeffrey A. Sherman (Broomfield, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why I Turned Right: Leading Baby Boom Conservatives Chronicle Their Political Journeys (Hardcover)

I have been historically disappointed with these types of collections. For example, I thought the volume Backward and Upward: The New Conservative Writing edited by David Brooks was only mediocre. This book, on the other hand, really grabbed me and held my attention. The writing is excellent. Further, and more importantly, the stories are all engaging and very different. Each of the writers took unique journeys and arrived at different places. For example, David Brooks' brand of conservatism and story of arriving there is very different from Joseph Bottum's or Dinesh D'Souza's (or the other 10 writers).

Though I do not qualify as a baby-boomer, as someone who discovered in my 30's that my true home was on the political Right, I found a great deal in this volume that I could relate to and learn from.

This book is probably better designed for persons who are already conservatives or leaning towards conservatism rather than as a persuasive tract designed to convince those on the political Left of the errors of their ways (though some on the Left may relate to some of the essays and find them persuasive--especially Danielle Crittenden's, whose essay is excellent).

For the many conservatives who are down in the mouth right now, this volume is an excellent reminder of why we think the way we do.

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grounded, Personal, and Fun, February 28, 2007

By 

Andrew Berman (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why I Turned Right: Leading Baby Boom Conservatives Chronicle Their Political Journeys (Hardcover)

It's not often that I read a political book that's so personal. If you are a Conservative, you will be nodding repeatedly while reading the stories, thinking "Yes, that happened to Me!" If you are Liberal and or Progressive, you will gain a deeper understanding of your rightwing acquaintences who seem like nice people but, hey, there must be something wrong with them since how could they vote for George BushChimpHitler?

In most cases the writers had an 'Aha' moment. Whether or not it is Stanley Kurtz reacting to protesters who were threatening to kill cops, Heather Mac Donald realizing that her training in deconstructionism was preventing her from actually understanding or even enjoying the books she was reading, Dinesh D'Souza flinching at the sexual propaganda from the University Chaplain at opening ceremonies, or Joseph Bottum looking at a young mother struggling with her child, each of them had a moment where they realized that their was something amiss with their surroundings and were motivated to take action.

Revolutionaries are traditionally associated with the Left. These writers are the Revolutionaries of the Right. Worth reading if you're interested in politics, no matter what your point of view.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Found My Own Experience, Throughout, April 2, 2007

By 

Paul Marc Oliu (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why I Turned Right: Leading Baby Boom Conservatives Chronicle Their Political Journeys (Hardcover)

I am a bit skeptical of edited books, probably because I have read so many that were poorly done. But I confess, Mary Eberstadt did a wonderful job. Not only were the writers across the conservative spectrum, but the premise of the book, leading conservatives discussing their own personal journey turned out to be both interesting, enlightening, and reflective of some of my own experiences.

Without going into detail about each of the writers, and the personal journey's they experienced, one thing is clear. Like all political philosophies and affiliations, there are many strains of thought. More importantly, how each person arrived at those beliefs is certainly unique.

And so we have 12 conservative thinkers/writers who discuss their coming around to being a conservative. For some, like Sally Satel, what draws them to conservatism are issues that are crtitical to her (psychiatry). Otherwise, many of her positions would be considered liberal. Or Richard Starr whose journey to conservatism was aided and abetted by President Jimmy Carter. There is Rich Lowry who, wouldn't you know, a life long conservative, although he didn't realize it until college. Or Heather Mac Donald who revolted against what academia had become. Each with his or her own story.

And in each story, a little bit of what many readers will have experienced themselves. This is by no means a book about how a group of leftist radical hippies turned out to become leading conservatives like David Horowitz. What you do find is are people that grew into conservatism. Much like, I suspect, many readers of this book.

I highly recommend.