Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media...
By John Stossel
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About this ebook
Working as a correspondent for 20/20 and Good Morning America, John Stossel confronted dozens of scam artists: from hacks who worked out of their basements to some of America's most powerful executives and leading politicians. His efforts shut down countless crooks -- both famous and obscure. Then he realized what the real problem was.
In Give Me a Break, Stossel takes on the regulators, lawyers, and politicians who thrive on our hysteria about risk and deceive the public in the name of safety. Drawing on his vast professional experience (as well as some personal ones), Stossel presents an engaging, witty, and thought-provoking argument about the beneficial powers of the free market and free speech.
John Stossel
John Stossel is co-anchor of ABC's 20/20. He also hosts ABC's John Stossel Specials reports for ABC radio, and ABCNews.com. A graduate of Princeton University, Stossel lives in New York City with his wife and two children. He devotes his time to beach volleyball, youth soccer, and his family.
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Reviews for Give Me a Break
92 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a quick read. I enjoyed Stossel's conversational tone and his no-nonsense way of addressing the issues. And in general I agree that government needs to shrink, lawsuits need to be reduced, and there's no virtue in being a victim. His anecdotes were a mixture of humorous and maddening, as most stories of government stupidity are. Unfortunately, I don't see this book as convincing anyone with firmer beliefs than the most tenuous of fence-sitters. As a reporter, Stossel knows how to break down complex issues into bite-sized chunks. Unfortunately, that means his evidence is a collection of soundbites from interviews rather than papers and studies you can go look up yourself. Interviews are a good source of information, but I am always wary of nonfiction books lacking a bibliography or at least a "further reading" section.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5tossel is great and unique. Check out his website. He is from the opposite economic spectrum from Krugman, readily quoting Milton Friedman and Frederick Von Hayek. His book is about journalism, and so many of the myths we believe in because of bad journalism and good lawyers. Here are some of Stossel's "truths": Large amounts of vitamin C don't help fight off any diseases, silicone breast implants never were harmful, there's no such thing as a "crack baby," and cutting your salt intake won't help prevent heart disease. Those are all covered in just 10 pages in the book. This book is an eye-opening, mind-freeing must-read. You may not agree with him, but you'll have to know your facts well to disagree with Stossel. This book stirred long-dormant Libertarian feelings in my soul.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Overall, an OK book. I certainly felt somewhat more enlightened after reading it, particularly in regards to the media's oversensationalization of reporting safety "hazards" and government overregulation. Minus points for typos (seriously, should have been fixed by the paperback printing), and minus one star for his overgeneralized hatred of unions. Also, I have concerns about his love of contracting out government services to for-profit corporations. He only presents the evidence that supports his viewpoint here and fails to mention episodes like the Accenture voting system debacle currently going on in Wisconsin. However, no matter what your take on his opinions, it makes a good conversation starter, but a more balanced view would have been better.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book makes you think twice before listening to anyone telling you they have a deal for you.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This one should be on the bookshelf of every critical thinker. I've been a fan of John's for decades now. Even if I may disagree with him on some points, he always makes me think and question the assumptions that are presented to us as "givens" by Big Brother, Academia, Madison Avenue and Hollywood. If you're someone who believes you know all the answers when it comes to society's ills, I challenge you to read this book.