Synopses & Reviews
In
Big Lies, Joe Conason rips through the ten most damaging lies perpetrated by the right wing propaganda machine. This scathing, fact-filled analysis debunks it all:
- The myth that Republicans are fiscal geniuses and champions of free enterprise.
- The right's self-proclaimed monopoly on "family values."
- The conservative smearing of liberals as unpatriotic and anti-American.
- And of course, the "compassionate conservatism" of George W. Bush. (It depends on the meaning of “compassionate.”)
Big Lies confronts right-wing slander and bias with a long-awaited, badly-needed counterpunch to the deceptions that have plagued American politics for a generation.
Review
"It's not too difficult to make the more preposterous spoutings of the way-out right look ridiculous, but Conason has fun hitting his easy targets." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"In 212 zippy pages, Conason...does battle with conservative conventional wisdom with nary an apology. It's a book tailor-made for a group that has grown increasingly angry in recent years and has been lashing out in a variety of ways..." Clara Frenk, USA Today
Review
"Cleverly smart....Readers of all political persuasions who care about the quality...of civic debate ought to hope that Conason's book circulates more efficiently across ideological lines than those previous books that scorn civility of any sort." The Washington Post
Review
"Big Lies is a valuable and convincing book about a president and a political movement that are eating away at the roots of our democracy." The Boston Phoenix
Review
"He lands some fine punches....Conason's case is substantial....But most of Conason's points are already well rehearsed, though liberals may find it useful to have them gathered in one volume." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Big Lies...takes up where Eric Alterman's What Liberal Media? left off....More raw meat for the lions of the Left and Right to devour." Booklist
Review
"Conason has such a good eye for the hypocrisy and follies of the American right, he can even make you laugh a little while you wince. This is a comprehensive, well-researched indictment of a bunch of nasty people who really deserve it. It is also a thorough exposé of a bunch of big lies, from 'the liberal media' to 'compassionate conservatism." Molly Ivins, bestselling author of Bushwhacked and Shrub
Review
"By enumerating the sex scandals surrounding Republican politicians...Conason demonstrates a hypocritical...conservative mindset. Extensive notes document the proofs and charges, and the writing is entertaining and engaging." Library Journal
Review
"Bothered by Bias? Sickened by Slander? Joe Conason's Big Lies is the perfect antidote. From Rush to Bush, Conason strips away false fronts to reveal the corporate agenda behind 'conservative' propaganda. Big Lies is essential reading in these politically troubled times." Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Pigs at the Trough
Review
"Every page of Big Lies is a revelation. With incisiveness and verve, Joe Conason supplies the intellectual ammunition to rescue liberalism and liberals from years of Republican distortion, spin, and shameless lies. Along the way, Conason delivers one of the most devastating indictments of right-wing rhetorical tricks and dishonest media techniques in print." David Brock, bestselling author of Blinded by the Right
Synopsis
- Conservatives are paragons of moral rectitude.
- Elitist liberals control the media.
- George W. Bush is a compassionate conservative.
- Republicans know how to run the economy.
- Democrats are spendthrifts who bust budgets.
- Bill Clinton is the root of all evil.
- Tough right-wingers never coddle terrorists.
Joe Conason, whose investigation of the conservative witchhunt of Bill Clinton became a major national bestseller, takes on the most common arguments, myths, and fallacies propounded by the right and exposes them as the smear tactics they really are.
A powerful rebuttal to books like Bias or Slander, Big Lies is essential reading in an era of right-wing bullying and political conformity.
About the Author
Joe Conason is the national correspondent for the
New York Observer and writes a daily online journal for
Salon. With Gene Lyons, he is the best-selling author of
The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton. His writing and reporting have appeared in many publications, including
Harpers,
The Guardian,
The Nation, and
The New Republic. He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio.