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theseventhl's review
4.0
This is certainly not a book for fans of Sarah Palin, beauty queen of Wasilla and ex-politician gone rogue (ha!) - at least, not the fans who blindly follow her politics and believe she is God's gift to the modern world. It certainly won't change any of those kinds of minds. But for the anti-Palin readers - as well as anyone curious of Palin's legacy - Going Rouge may be the collection of essays and articles they've been looking for. Examining her as a public figure and a person, the book throughly goes over many of the issues that come up when discussing Palinmania: Palin's lack of experience; the Bristol issue; Palin and feminism; the view of Russia from Alaska; etc. Thoroughly comprehensive, totally relevant to the current political atmosphere of Tea Parties and revolutionary spirit, this is - and I don't say this lightly - a very important book if you really want to understand how the introduction of Sarah Palin onto the world stage in 2008 changed everything.
clubizarre's review
2.0
First off, it's important to read things you disagree with. It's important in forming your own opinions.
That said, it felt like the book going through a checklist. I also felt it feeds into people's confirmation bias and rarely dove into any issues beyond the surface. If you are a fan of hers and her ideals, you will like it. If not, it doesn't spend a lot of time trying bring in new fans though a well thought out discussion nor reinforcing much of the checklist.
That said, it felt like the book going through a checklist. I also felt it feeds into people's confirmation bias and rarely dove into any issues beyond the surface. If you are a fan of hers and her ideals, you will like it. If not, it doesn't spend a lot of time trying bring in new fans though a well thought out discussion nor reinforcing much of the checklist.
claudiaswisher's review
3.0
As a compilation of essays, this book was uneven at best. But some of the writing was strong and focused. Three essays in particular helped me understand my viseral reactions to this woman. They verbalized what I could only feel. Linda Hershman's essay, "Sarah Palin, Mean Girl," compares her to the 1990's book, THE RULES: TIME-TESTED SECRETS FOR CAPTURING THE HEART OF MR. RIGHT. I remember that book! It was all about manipulating a man into thinking you were someone you weren't, just to 'snag' him. Hershman says, "By setting Palin up as the Rules girl the gorgeous, fecund non-Hillary...Republicans forgot that THE RULES is a manual for how to attract men." Tom Perrotta, the novelist, introduces the archetype character of the "Sexy Puritan" to the mix..."you get a little thrill along with your traditional voalues...a wink with a wagging finger." Oh, how I hate that wink! And Chris Hayes describes his response to her acceptance speech in such vivid language, talking about two kinds of politics: 'the politics of the prefrontal cerebral cortes, the politics of analysis...and discussion' with 'the politics of the limbic system, the subrational, emotional, physical response' as he had when she attacked community organizers, his own father's profession.
Not what I expected, but as I went back, collecting my lines, more profound than I thought as I was reading.
Not what I expected, but as I went back, collecting my lines, more profound than I thought as I was reading.
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