THE OVERTON WINDOW

Thoughts after reading it the second time...

First, an apology for the introspective nature of this 'review.' It may seem egocentric, and perhaps is, but I try to leave the readers 'room' to relate to the information without suggesting we're all going to have the same experience, reaction and derive the same or any value from the experience as I may have.

With books and movies I like, I find reading and seeing them more than once is like peeling a delicious onion, if there is such a thing. Each layer provides a depth of richness and understanding that just gets better. Add to that, over time we're banking more personal experience, and things that we looked at first time can take on a broader and often more poignant meaning.

I didn't want to share thoughts on Glenn Beck's latest from just the first reading. Lots of folks will, particularly those who are 'going through the motions' simply to justify foregone conclusions, or their jobs or both. The non-informative "Yeah, I read that and it's tripe" is usually a good indicator that at best he saw the book on the neighbor's coffee table, or the movie while stoned. (Please pardon this digression but I'm not making this up!! Recently I was chatting with an avowed, and 'well-schooled', communist on Facebook. I mentioned Ludwig von Mises. "Oh yeah, I read all his stuff and he's wrong." I couldn't help but call him on it. It was obvious puffery, i.e. a bloviating lie. No one reads "All" von Mises stuff while seriously disagreeing with it. Dollars to donuts. I busted him and he admitted it.)

After 2 readings, I'm not through with the OVERTON WINDOW.

The first time through, it is definitely a page turner, which in my case means I'm not trying to figure subtle nuances, I'm anxious to see what happens next. For my purposes, the book gets an A for 'page turning.'

After satisfying my curiosity at the 'thriller' level, the second time through was a more careful one. Here I was interested in character development, intricacies regarding how the events unfold, and the messaging.

The problem with prescience these days is it becomes factual history so fast. Beck even noted he had to keep updating THE OVERTON WINDOW because, in my words, the 'creeping socialism' we worried about decades ago has been accellerated to warp speed in the past 2 years.

When I refer to prescience in this book, I'm not talking about five years from now. Many of us would be shocked, but not a bit surprised, if the last chapter in the book unfolded before our eyes next week (let's hope not).

If you're familiar with Beck, which does not mean randomly or via the third party method of message gathering, you'll find THE OVERTON WINDOW consistent with what attracts you to Beck.

For my part, and I'm not fond of saying this, I have learned more about American history including its founding in the past year from Beck than I have from all my years of so-called 'formal education.' Much of that you'll find in THE OVERTON WINDOW.

Now if you're not familiar with Beck, his instructive technique relies largely on citing the direct words of good guys and bad guys in history. Both sides speak more eloquently and closer to the truth about themselves than the Geraldo Riveras of today. I like that, although it brings to mind one of Beck's favorite quotations from I don't recall whom, "The truth shall set you free, but first it'll make you damned mad." And, if we're honest, the person at whom we should be mad is ourselves. We've been suckered bigtime.

There is a character in THE OVERTON WINDOW that I gotta "love". He's the consummate bad guy. The closest I can come to an approximate fictional comparison is Ellsworth Toohey to the fifth power. And let me tell you, when he explains why he is the way he is, you may, hopefully, hate him for it, but you may also be wondering if he's right. Alone, he makes THE OVERTON WINDOW a must read.

Of course, any "must read" is also a "must not read". The media have taken up the usual tactics to pigeon-hole Beck, his message and to dishonor his fans. If that weren't happening, there'd really would be cause for worry. And the folks so assigned have had a rocky start. In a promotional piece for THE OVERTON WINDOW a poem that's in the book is quoted. (I find it haunting, and it plays an instrumental role in the climax of the book) For a day or two, the culture weasels had a field day attributing all kinds of demeaning, diminishing and dismissive remarks regarding WHAT THEY THOUGHT
was some terrible slush Beck had written. It goes like this:

"Then the Gods of the Market tumbled
and thier smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled
and began to believe it was true
That all is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up
to explain it once more.

"As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since social progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger, goes wabbling back
to the Fire.

"And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and
no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror
and slaughter return!"

---Rudyard Kipling 1919 (!!!)

Now if you're curious as to whom this anthem belonged in THE OVERTON WINDOW, and to what "Gods of the Copybook Heading" refers, well this is a good time to say, "it's in the book." And in the process, if you haven't already, you'll find out what the "Overton Window" is--- Good deal!!