The Myth America Pageant: How Government & Politics Really Affect the Ordinary Joe

By Robert Wickes

An often-amusing look at often-confusing national issues and at the grand game of politics, blending history, common sense, and controversy in a thought-provoking, convention-challenging analysis for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0741436183
• ISBN13: 9780741436184
• Release Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Infinity Publishing (PA)
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

How the government affects ordinary people - including me.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/07) I am not a big fan of political science or economic type books. Even in college, I studied enough to get a good grade, but not to retain anything in this subject area. I was really pleased when I read "The Myth America Pageant," because it is easy to understand and very interesting. The information presented was also researched and references are cited. The author, Robert Wickes, describes himself as an "Average Joe." This book is about "the value and benefits of individual liberty and why this is such an important goal for mankind." Wickes discusses a variety of political systems and theories of political scientists throughout history. He refreshed my knowledge of people like John Locke and Karl Marx. He really made this book interesting. I wish that my textbooks in college could have been written as well as this one. In the first part of the book Wickes states what he calls, "The Unavoidable Truth." He immediately captured my attention when he said, "In the long and tumultuous history of mankind, every war, every conflict, and every injustice is an attempt by one person or group to impose their will on another." This is so true for every culture throughout time, yet nothing changes. In the first part of the book, Wickes discusses the "Unavoidable Result." He says, "The larger the war...or the larger the government, the greater the insult to liberty and wealth of the population. In the second part of the book he discusses the "Inescapable Conclusion." He feels, "As the destruction of peace and wealth increases in proportion to the degree of the imposition of one's will over another, it follows that the promotion of peace, the development of liberty, and the growth of wealth will increase in proportion to the degree of limitation of such imposition." If you want to catch up on what is going on in the world and how it is still affected by what has gone on in the past, this is a great book to read. "The Myth America Pageant" is really interesting and insightful.

Non-Fiction Must Read!

I find Mr. Wickes a very intelligent and articulate author. Fine detail comes from a passionate writer and this book is no exception. Sometimes, out of necessity, the book is heavy reading, but it still gets my thumbs up for the way Wickes makes it understandable. Every chapter weaves with the previous one until by the end it completes the picture drawn by this persuasive writer. A non-fiction must read!