Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine [Paperback]

Glenn Beck (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"If you believe it's time to put principles above parties, character above campaign promises, and Common Sense above all -- then I ask you to read this book...."

In any era, great Americans inspire us to reach our full potential. They know with conviction what they believe within themselves. They understand that all actions have consequences. And they find commonsense solutions to the nation's problems.

One such American, Thomas Paine, was an ordinary man who changed the course of history by penning Common Sense, the concise 1776 masterpiece in which, through extraordinarily straightforward and indisputable arguments, he encouraged his fellow citizens to take control of America's future -- and, ultimately, her freedom.

Nearly two and a half centuries later, those very freedoms once again hang in the balance. And now, Glenn Beck revisits Paine's powerful treatise with one purpose: to galvanize Americans to see past government's easy solutions, two-part monopoly, and illogical methods and take back our great country.

About the Author

Glenn Beck, the nationally syndicated radio and Fox News television show host, is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: An Inconvenient Book, The Christmas Sweater, Glenn Beck’s Common Sense, Arguing with Idiots, and the children’s version of The Christmas Sweater. America’s March to Socialism is available now from Simon & Schuster Audio or downloadable from Simon & Schuster Online. He is also the author of The Real America and publisher of Fusion magazine. Visit www.glennbeck.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Threshold Editions; Original edition (June 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439168571
• ISBN-13: 978-1439168578
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,143 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #9 in	Books > Nonfiction > Politics > History & Theory
  #6 in	Books > Nonfiction > Politics > U.S.
  #7 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Political Doctrines > Conservatism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not really a fan, nor a hater.. but the book makes common sense, March 10, 2010

By	Robert Kirk (Reno, Nv) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine (Paperback)

I like to think of myself as an independent thinker. This book does a great job of breaking down some pretty big problems with government and society. If you are a parent or younger than 40, I finished the book with a bit of different perspective. I actually am not a fan of Mr. Beck, never seen his show. However he does seem to make some very valid points, especially about the economic troubles facing our nation. So, it's a fast read and if you are open minded, it's interesting and does make common sense.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3 stars for Beck's, 5 stars for Paine's, June 4, 2010

By	B. Wilfong (Newark, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine (Paperback)

Having never read any of Mr. Beck's books before I did not know what I was in for. It was not what I expected it to be. I found the book to be largely nonpartisan, as Mr. Beck thinks the Democrats and the Republicans are obstacles to his Libertarian philosophies.
Beck is not a great writer, he is an average one, and I get the sense he is okay with that. This is not a text written on an inaccessible, philosophic level, and unlike some reviewers, I don't see that as a bad thing. It allows readers of different talents and abilities to participate in the debate he is engendering.
I follow politics closely, and Beck was still able to come up with some details and facts that I knew little or nothing about. The book is also well sourced, which is an asset. You can't say some of his arguments are wrong when he presents the proof.
The inclusion of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" at the end of this text is this book's real strength. If I had ever read all of it before, I don't remember, and the ideas expressed by that great American over two centuries ago have some profound things to say to us yet. The prescience of "Common Sense" today is truly astounding. There are parts of it that could have been accurately written about this country yesterday. Regardless of your political stripes, you should be able to see the value and wisdom in Mr. Paine's "little pamphlet". If you don't, you are too far gone.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but it could have been so much more, August 4, 2010

By	Long Hitter (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine (Paperback)

In this book, Glenn Beck makes a fairly solid case for a significant reduction in government involvement in the day-to-day lives of Americans. In doing so, he is fairly balanced with his criticism of both the right and the left; however, he only scratches the surface in many areas, and his lack of sufficient reference to any works cited makes verifying his claims to be a bit more cumbersome than it needs to be.

Beck astutely points out many of the pitfalls of Medicare parts A, B, and D. In chapter 2 he refers to Medicare, just like Social Security, as a "massive Ponzi scheme where the number of those who've been promised benefits greatly exceeds our ability to pay for them." An example of this is the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (that was passed by the Republican controlled congress and President Bush in 2003) that amassed more than $17 billion in unfunded liabilities between 2006 (when it was enacted) and 2009....in addition to the $68 trillion chasm already created by Medicare A and B.

In chapter 4, he builds a case against politicians and how they use the dirty old tactic of Gerrymandering to ensure their own reelection and to keep any like-minded opponents from taking over. He makes several good points here that I'm sure anyone reading would find interesting.

He also discusses, at great length, the corruption and immoral behavior exhibited by politicians in Washington. I agree with his opinion that elected officials should be held to a higher standard and that the leadership on the Hill and in the White House should not tolerate any deviation from acceptable behavior.

Despite the number of interesting points the author does bring up, I really got the sense from this book that Glenn Beck is more interested in virtually zero government because according to him, government can do little more than intrude into good citizens' lives. In very few instances does Beck discuss with any effort how government can benefit people. Had he done so, and clearly articulated a case how government should function, the arguments put forth in this book would have been much stronger. In summary, this work is nothing really special but might be worth the read as it is only 100 or so pages long.