The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization by Anthony Esolen

I hoped this was a satire ... I found it was insanity!by Educated_Reader

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May 01, 2009: Full disclosure: I am a historian and a published author with several books in print.

"The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization" is is a study in cognitive dissonance and so full of historical errors and self-contradictions I could easily write a review as long as the text itself, stating (and documenting) its errors page by page.

Just a few examples--it cites the Enlightenment as a major source of all that is wrong in the world, the evil force that germinated (gasp!)democracy, a quest for equality (with particular venom for "feminazis" who refuse to accept their proper place(s) in the kitchen, bedroom, and nursery--choosing instead to pursue higher education and positions of influence while simultaneously destroying family). Esolen posits that abortion is the sign of modernity's self-destructive direction and praises classical cultures in comparison--all the while ignoring (or showing his ignorance of) the widely-accepted Spartan practice of abandoning unwanted babies to die. He decries the abomination of another threat to family--homosexuality--while ignoring the prominence of pedophilia and rape in "the more civilized" Greece and Rome. Esolen credits Judeo-Christianity with all that is good in the world, but ignores decades--no, centuries!--of violence conducted by Christians in the name of religion: the Crusades, the Inquisition, the explorers of America who enslaved or obliterated native cultures, and so on.

I propose a minor change in the title for the next printing: "The Incorrect Guide..." Better yet, let's just go back to the time-"honored" practice of burning books. Place this one on the top of the pile.

A reviewerby Anonymous

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June 20, 2008: Finally, a book that does not merely defend the West but positively commends its values and achievements to the world. There's a reason it's called 'Western Civilization.' To the extent that other cultures are Westernized, they become increasingly civilized. If a culture shows itself to be civilized, you can safely assume it has been Westernized sometime in its recent past. Away with all false modesty, self-loathing, and guilt! The world owes a debt of gratitude for the pervasive influence of the West. Only to the degree that we understand this to be so will the world remain civilized. To depart from our Western heritage is suicidal. All cultures are not created equal. This book clearly demonstrates the moral, cultural, political, intellectual, and spiritual superiority of Western Civilization. 'Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Western Civ's the way to go!'