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alexandrabree's review against another edition
1.0
DNF
Have it a ok try, but the book needed an editor with a fine tooth comb and a plan.
This was constantly off topic, he injected random political beliefs and mixed and matched bits and pieces together.
I only made it to the end ish bit of Chapter 1.
Have it a ok try, but the book needed an editor with a fine tooth comb and a plan.
This was constantly off topic, he injected random political beliefs and mixed and matched bits and pieces together.
I only made it to the end ish bit of Chapter 1.
literallytouko's review against another edition
2.0
This is probably one of the most dense books I've ever read and in an entirely unpleasant way. The author repeats themselves so much, I questioned whether it's part of their writing style, a function of the text, or they legitimately think their audience is stupid. Like, I was re-reading sections over and over because I felt like I was going crazy, reading the same concept worded slightly different ways, sentence after sentence. I have no idea who this book is for; it reads like several academic papers stitched together. If that's the case, that would be fine, and I wouldn't care at all, were it marketed that way, or if it was mentioned somewhere on the back of the book or something. An academic thesis is not what I expected to be reading, not the experience I showed up for, and ultimately I decided life's too short to force myself to keep going with something I'm actively hating. I can count on one hand the number of times I've DNF'd and this is a new one.
blackcatkai's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
information is great and useful. full of examples & overall a very good resource. the presentation, however, is quite repetitive & textbook-esque which can make it harder to get through.
I think Stanley's followup, How Fascism Works, was written in a much more concise way that I wish this one had been. still highly worth the read, either way, I think!
I think Stanley's followup, How Fascism Works, was written in a much more concise way that I wish this one had been. still highly worth the read, either way, I think!
broadecenteio's review against another edition
yeah america sucks. podia ser menos repetitivo mas até tinha algumas ideias interessantes. Li só alguns capítulos
idrees2022's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhere amid all the digressions the subject of propaganda got lost. There are some insights in this book but you have to wade through thickets of verbiage to get to them. There are long segments which convinced me that Stanley is a very nice guy and is very conscious of oppression and inequality, but they told me nothing about propaganda. I came to this after reading his very good "How Fascism Works"; but I get the sense that this book was published without an editor. His arguments could have been made using a third of the space. It's a shame, because there are some good ideas in this book but Stanley's repetitiveness and wordiness just makes one look forward to the ending.
(Also, I think its good that Stanley like many socially conscious academics uses "she" rather than "he" as a default universal pronoun, but it sounds a bit comical when the subject is an abstract "tyrant").
(Also, I think its good that Stanley like many socially conscious academics uses "she" rather than "he" as a default universal pronoun, but it sounds a bit comical when the subject is an abstract "tyrant").