Idiot America

How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free

By: Charles P. Pierce

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

The culture wars are over and the idiots have won. This is a veteran journalist’s caustically funny, righteously angry lament about the glorification of ignorance in the United States.

The three Great Premises of Idiot America: · Any theory is valid if it sells books, soaks up ratings, or otherwise moves units; anything can be true if someone says it loudly enough; "fact" is that which enough people believe. And "truth" is determined by how fervently they believe it.

Charles Pierce has led a career-long quest to separate the smart from the pap, and now it’s time to try and salvage the Land of the Enlightened, buried somewhere in this new Home of the Uninformed. With his razor-sharp wit and erudite reasoning, Pierce delivers a gut-wrenching, side-splitting lament about the glorification of ignorance in the United States and how a country founded on intellectual curiosity has deteriorated into a nation of simpletons more apt to vote for an American Idol contestant than a presidential candidate.

With Idiot America, Pierce’s thunderous denunciation is also a secret call to action, as he hopes that, somehow, being intelligent will stop being a stigma and that pinheads will once again be pitied, not celebrated.

©2009 Charles P. Pierce (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A raucous rant against the armies of the right…. Pierce is at his scathing, insightful best.” ( Boston Globe)

Great book, but too true

This is an amazing account of the demise of intelligence in America. This tells about how Americans are easily bamboozled by charlatans. Pierce talks about how the far right Christians have eschewed science for creationism that they often re-label intelligent design. There is nothing intelligent about it.

I'm sad thinking about how much worse we've gotten since this book was written.

The cranks now are in charge of Idiot America

Where does Idiot America rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Most of the book's I read are mysteries, so this book was a great change of pace. I really did enjoy listening.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not a character book, but I really did enjoy learning about the "cranks" of America's past.

Which character – as performed by Bronson Pinchot – was your favorite?

Not really answerable.

Good but repetitive

This book could have been much shorter. The author makes the same case over and over. It still worth reading.

Explains How We Got to the 2016 Election

Mr. Pierce touches on subjects that divide our nation. So if you're too sensitive, avoid this book. Hot topics, like climate change and conservative talk shows, are brought up. He's highly critical, but rightfully so in many cases. Even if you disagree with him, is worth the opportunity for another POV.

rudder stuck hard to port

First Bronson Pinchot is the best reader. it's worth listening to anything he reads. as someone who considers himself conservative this book allowed me to visit the smug lefts self indulging superiority complex that recently allowed its headlong run off the cliff.