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Newt Gingrich's Amazon Book Reviews

lee1 writes "Newt Gingrich has written 156 book reviews on Amazon, at one point becoming ranked in the site's top 500 list. Most of the books are cheesy political thrillers, but the newly announced presidential candidate is also trying to learn about quantum physics, and shows good taste, 'strongly recommending' Richard Feynman's QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter." Gingrich is an early joiner; I'd like to see the books on the shelves of the other likely presidential candidates, too.

32 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe He Will Finish 1945? by hduff · · Score: 4, Funny
    --
    "I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
  2. How does he have the time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Between running for president, commenting on Fox News shows, and cheating on his wife, how does he have time to read so much?

    1. Re:How does he have the time? by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Informative

      He started these reviews right after he left the House, I remember reading some of them in '02 and '03. Emailed his homepage at one point about a book and he replied.

      I don't like his politics, but he was friendly and intelligent in email.

    2. Re:How does he have the time? by Hognoxious · · Score: 3, Funny

      Obviously someone in his position can delegate an aide to cheat on his wife.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    3. Re:How does he have the time? by Hognoxious · · Score: 3, Funny

      He takes the bottom and reads while the woman does all the work?

      Nah, your arms get cramp.

      Doggy style, then you can use her back as a desk.

      Umm, so they say.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  3. Here's the link to his Amazon posts by cshay · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A27WFYW9ZJ5DN1

    For some reason the Washington Post did not include it.

  4. Re:someone else by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I still can't quite figure out why that particular adulterer is even seriously considered after his fist thumping over the Clinton-Lewinsky affair. What an obscene, vile, disingenuous hypocrite that man is.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  5. Other books by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Palin won't have read many, but her shelves will have "important" books for the looks.
    Ron Paul will have alot of economic and revisionist history stuff, pretty much anyone over from Lewrockwell.com that's written a book, he will have all their stuff.
    Donald Trump will have books about himself, by himself.
    Romney will have a good mix of Christian, Mormonism and pop history books.

    1. Re:Other books by ZombieBraintrust · · Score: 5, Informative

      When asked about his favorite book Romeny stated "Battlefield Earth" by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

    2. Re:Other books by MightyMartian · · Score: 3, Funny

      I think she got rid of her bookcases so she could see Russia more clearly.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:Other books by ZombieBraintrust · · Score: 5, Informative

      When asked about his favorite book Romeny stated "Battlefield Earth" by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

      By the way the above post isn't a joke. He actually said his favorite book was "Battlefield Earth."

  6. Re:Troll by Low+Ranked+Craig · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm sorry but you're way out of line. Firstly, I'm not a Tea Party member, but I am a sympathizer. You must be getting all your news from CNN and NBC if you actually believe that all Tea Party members are racist or retarded. YOu have nothing constructive to say, just a long rant of insults. Let's hear a detailed list of the real policy issues you have with them, not more of the Bill Maher inspired ad hominem attacks.

    --
    I still cannot find the droids I am looking for...
  7. Re:Amazon reviews by Low+Ranked+Craig · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'd like to see a source for that. I suspect if he actually said that Google would know about it.

    --
    I still cannot find the droids I am looking for...
  8. Re:Fooling around never slowed Clinton by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The fact remains that Gingrich was soon reviled almost in equal parts by his own party, whereas Clinton, despite semen-stained dresses and a history of out-of-control boinking predated his Presidency by many years, left office very popular, and remains even now a very popular ex-president.

    You can bitch and whine all you like, but to some extent its because Gingrich was an unco-operative malcontented blowhard who liked to show off how smart he was, but was ultimately a lightweight compared to Clinton, who is, despite his mastery of that folksy Arkansas charm, a very bright and well-read man. Both men seem to have the same vices, but only one of them possesses the virtue.

    I'll tell you what happens if Gingrich wins the nod (and I doubt he will, he's way to much a plain fucking asshole to ever actually win). Obama will go into the 2012 election with a recovery economy, Al Qaeda on the run with Obama able to (figuratively, at least) hold up bin Laden's head, and ol' Newt will be there, the unmitigated unapologetic prick he is, calling Obama down on everything in that Fox News way he has to do things, and the voter will look at Obama and see an imperfect and yet hopeful man and then look at Gingrich and see a fundamentally mean-spirited jerk.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  9. Re:Amazon reviews by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well we know where he'd stand on health care. You can be a citizen as long as you don't get sick. When you do, you'll be deported to Mexico and be replaced with a sexy 23-year-old from Sweden.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  10. Re:Amazon reviews by farnsworth · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Are we really basing our opinions of Newt Gingrich on the fact that his Amazon account has "recommended" a book by Feynman?

    By that measurement, my recommendation of Barry Cooper's biography of Beethoven qualifies me to conduct the Chicago Symphony and to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

    But I'm a bit suspicious of Gingrich's recommendations ever since in an interview on Fox News he said he read Plato in the original Latin.

    Personally, I'm glad Gingrich is running for president. It should be good for some lulz. [...]

    Clearly, he's got the right stuff to be a Republican front runner.

    What flamebait. You may not agree with his politics, and his personal life may abhor you, but it seems perfectly valid to assess someone's intellectual capacity based on something like this. You don't have to vote for him, but this may be an interesting find for someone choosing between Sarah "I read them all" Palin and this guy. He clearly is a sharp man.

    --

    There aint no pancake so thin it doesn't have two sides.

  11. Required, timely reading, September 19, 2001 by layer3switch · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.amazon.com/review/RJKX0KUG5773Z

    Clark describes a pattern of destructive dishonesty that permeated the Clinton Administration. Clark could never count on candor from Shelton (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs), Secretary of Defense Cohen, or President Clinton. Contrast that with the fact that we have every reason to believe President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretaries Powell, and Rumsfeld. This administration will prove far more reliable and far more honorable.

    Newt, as always, smart at narratives but really stupid at drawing a logical conclusion.

    --
    "Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."
  12. Re:Fooling around never slowed Clinton by scot4875 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Here's the difference. I'll go slowly and use small words so you might understand.

    Clinton never ran on a platform of "family values" in the party of "family values" and "sanctity of marriage."

    Do you get it now? Similarly, Clinton is the guy that said "I never inhaled," and we didn't hold it against him because he didn't run on an anti-drug platform. Clinton could have also been banging Al Gore, and we wouldn't have held it against either of them because neither one ran on a platform of "no homos!"

    --Jeremy

    --
    Jesus was a liberal
  13. Re:Amazon reviews by layer3switch · · Score: 3, Funny

    you'll be deported to Mexico and be replaced with a sexy 23-year-old from Sweden.

    So it's safe to assume, Gingrich/Trump 2012 ticket?

    --
    "Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."
  14. Re:Got a ways to go before he catches John Edwards by scot4875 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hypocrisy - look it up. I don't care one whit if Gingrich fucks a busload of nuns during his spare time. I *do* care when he (and his party) make "morality" part of the platform, and then turns around and violates said morals. Why the fuck should I vote for someone who violates one of his main promises?

    Your failure to understand seems to stem from the fact that you (and other slow thinkers like you) think adultery is automatically bad, and that we wouldn't vote for someone based on who they do and/or don't put their dick in.

    Just like when Obama said "I'm going to close Gitmo" and "I'm going to investigate AT&T over the warrantless wiretaps" and then didn't do either of those things. That loses him points. It would then be sheer hypocrisy if he were to open more detention facilities, or ask for more wiretaps. But if he decides he wants to screw Hillary Clinton on the side? I don't care -- he never told me he wouldn't, and it's not something I'd base a vote on anyway.

    Do you get it? It's not the extra marital affairs we care about. It's the hypocrisy.

    --Jeremy

    --
    Jesus was a liberal
  15. Re:Weak Candidates by Orgasmatron · · Score: 5, Informative

    You do know that McCain's arms haven't worked right ever since he was tortured by the North Vietnamese while he was a prisoner of war, right?

    If I was physically unable to use a computer in a normal way, I might just get my wife to print my emails too.

    --
    See that "Preview" button?
  16. Re:I am nowhere near ready to assume he doesn't ju by osgeek · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You'd likely be wrong. Malign the guy as you will - lord knows the US press was all too eager to do so back in the 90's - but he's extremely intelligent. It's obvious if you listen to the guy speak for five minutes that he's very thoughtful and well read.

  17. Re:Got a ways to go before he catches John Edwards by SETIGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    John Edwards cheated on his dying wife (ten-upping Gingrich)

    Gingrich cheated on his first wife while she was dying of cancer, told her he wanted a divorce when she was in a hospital bed recovering from surgery, and then left her for his second wife. It appears likely that Gingrich had already started sleeping with his third wife before he married his second wife, so it's unlikely the second wife developing a disease was the cause of the affair, but he eventually divorced his second wife and 10 days later, married the third, a congressional aide 23 years his junior. While this affair was going on, Gingrich tried to impeach Clinton for getting a blowjob from a consenting adult. It's likely he's already sleeping with his fourth and fifth wives.

    Gingrich fulled illegal campaign donations through his non-profit, and after it appeared it would get him kicked out of the House he decided to quit. He still got fined $300,000 for this and for perjuring himself in front of the House Ethics Committee. He should have gotten prison time. Throughout the time these things were happening, Gingrich was trumpeting his superior ethics, his Baptist faith and his family values. His excuse for this behavior: he was working too hard for the American people, so it's our fault. “There’s no question at times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.” These aren't things he did, but things that just happened in his life. Why should we hold him responsible for things that just happened? But now he's converted to Catholicism and has a new appreciation for why God should have a greater role in our government, so we apparently have no choice but to forget his past sins. Not bloody likely.

  18. Re:someone else by osgeek · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What an obscene, vile, disingenuous hypocrite that man is.

    Wait... you mean Clinton? The guy who used the power of the presidency in an attempt to smear and bury Paula Jones to cover up just some of his illegal sexual harassment activities?

    People joke about the Repubs going after Clinton for getting blow jobs in the White House. I never cared that much about that part of it. It was the fact that he abused his power to go after Paula Jones that sickened and disgusted me. The guy was absolutely reprehensible, and the fact that he still has the support of his party -- ostensibly the party that supports women -- points out the extraordinary hypocrisy of the Democrats.

  19. Re:Troll by uncqual · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Perhaps, but voters seem to have very short memories.

    Recall that shortly after the initial "battle" of the Gulf War in January 1991, President George H. W. Bush had incredibly high popularity ratings (about 90% as I recall). Nevertheless, in November 1992, he was defeated by Bill Clinton (admittedly with the help of the spoiler Ross Perot).

    Really, "it's the economy, stupid" (to quote Bill Clinton's campaign guru, James Carville).

    Housing prices continue to decline in spite of Obama's efforts to "fix" them. Unemployment is still very high and not rebounding as many had hoped even a year ago. The Federal budget and the budgets of many large states are in serious trouble. Well, you get the idea...

    Obama can't just run on "I got Osama",

    The best thing Obama can hope for if the economy doesn't show strong signs of recovery by November 2012 is that the Republicans field a weak candidate (as they did in 2008 and as the Democrats did in 2004). BTW, Newt would likely be such a candidate.

    --
    Why is there an "insightful" mod and why isn't it "-1"? If I wanted insight, I wouldn't be reading /.
  20. Re:Got a ways to go before he catches John Edwards by Grishnakh · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Personally, I don't believe in voting for getting fucked at all (at least not by a politician). Why should I pick either one of them? Just because all you other morons think you have to pick one of the two media-approved choices?

    Instead, I'll vote for someone who I think will do a decent job. If the rest of you idiots vote for someone who fucks you over, whether by broomstick or chainsaw, that's on you. Don't blame me.

    If you vote for the "lesser of two evils", don't be surprised when you're rewarded with evil. If you voted for evil, you only have yourself to blame.

  21. Re:Amazon reviews by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Informative

    The posters on that site believe that character counts

    No, they say they believe that character counts. Tribal interests will trump "character" every time.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  22. Re:Amazon reviews by Risen888 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wait a minute, I should "assess someone's intellectual capacity" based on a "recommend" an account in his name gave on Amazon?

    It's a form of insight into someone's intellectual habits, yes.

    Well then, the fact that I've recommended Kant's Critique of Pure Reason indicates that I'm fucking brilliant. And since I "recommended" Jeff Gordon: Nascar Driver (Ferguson Career Biographies) [Hardcover] ISBN-10: 0816058857 I am qualified to win the Daytona 500.

    Based on the fact that you've dragged that pisspoor joke out through two posts now, my assessment of your capacity for wit is not high.

    --
    Hey, I finally got my first freak! Took you long enough!
  23. Re:I am nowhere near ready to assume he doesn't ju by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 3, Insightful

    He had a lot more credibility in the 1990s. Since then, he has flip-flopped and boomeranged on so many issues, the people who admired him as the tech-savvy alternative to the older conservatives have generally abandoned him. His personal history makes him unelectable, especially against a President whose personal life is beyond reproach, and whose commitment to his family is respected even by his opponents.

  24. Re:someone else by Boronx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I suppose you know something Ken Starr doesn't. Clinton ran the cleanest whitehouses in the past 30 years. I give the Republicans some credit for making sure of it.

  25. Re:Let's start a sub thread here... by n+dot+l · · Score: 4, Insightful

    drinkers who tell their kids not to drink

    An alcoholic father begs his son to never drink, because he fears his son is at risk of becoming like him and wants better. The son, having watched him struggle with finances and go in and out of rehab for years on end gets the point, despite the fact that his father is hung over as he gives his lecture.

    A politician speaks of the dangers of alcohol to society. He takes a hardline stance against it, supporting zero-tolerance measures, and campaigns for prohibition. He declares these things to be his deeply held personal beliefs. When asked about the martini in his hand, he dodges the question and waits for his supporters to drown out the interviewer with calls to "keep the candidate's personal life out of the debate."

    One of these men is clearly and self-evidently speaking what they truly believe, and holds himself up as a warning to others at cost to himself. The other one is lying for his own benefit. Can you tell which is which?

  26. Re:I am nowhere near ready to assume he doesn't ju by osgeek · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He talks about god for the same reason Obama does. You can't get elected President in this country (especially not by the Republican party) if you don't talk about your strong faith. Sad, I know, but the public is too mired in its superstitions for things to work otherwise.