I did not compose the title of this post or the words copied and pasted below from Amazon. This is certainly one of the best reviews I have received for any of my six books. I shall not mention the review author's name here, in case she would prefer to remain anonymous, but you know who you are and I thank you very much!
If you'd like to have a clear understanding of how we as a nation got from Christopher Columbus (or even the Beatles) to Sarah Palin, you will devour this book. Floyd Orr explains, among many other things, why we felt unsettled when the tone of TV commercials seemed to change in the 1970's, and how and why the corporate and religious forces were fueling the changes.
I once described the author as, "Having the ability to soar high above us in his multicolored balloon, observe the ants (us) scurrying around on the ground below, and able to project the whole societal picture as it will unfold years from now". This book reveals prescience, starting from a historical base, and continuing with a logical progression of facts, leading up to our current "idiocracy".
This is far from a dry read about a heavy subject. Mr. Orr's writing seems a dance upon the piano keys, with a few low notes for impact; an absolute delight that will have you grinning and laughing out loud. An inspired riff on a hypothetical episode of "Designing Women" is brilliant. He runs the gamut of pop culture, therein opening our eyes to what we all sensed was happening, yet couldn't quite put to voice.
But then, a dangerous political chimera in the form of Sarah Palin reared its head. In the most thorough compilation of dated facts, quotes, and interviews, the author presents us with "Babygate": the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public, wherein Palin's "pregnancy" with a Down Syndrome child was a total fabrication, devised solely for political gain. Floyd Orr gives us the facts - it is up to us to form our own opinions. The accuracy and completeness of the "Babygate Timeline" has never been equalled anywhere.
To sum up: a fun and eye-opening read, suffused with pop culture, explaining how we got to our current situation. An opus of clear thinking, written in an inimitable style. If life is indeed a box of chocolates, each one of the author's chapters has a nougat center.
